Neverland
by MelindaHP
Summary: "There is another side of the story, another side of me, another side of everything...I lie and have lied to protect those I love. And now, I do not think I could bear for them to see the truth..." Canon pairings, new characters, Bella will be OOC for a bit. Jacob hater still so stay away Jacob fans :) SEQUEL UP!
1. Born

Chapter 1: Born

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The pain throughout my body continued as I sat on my knees on the couch. My hands clasped tightly and my face buried in my bent arms propped on the back of the couch, I breathed deeply, looking down at the soft blanket beneath my spread legs. Contraction after contraction rippled through my body like a hungry animal and, instinctively, I began to rock my hips slightly in time with the waves of pain that never ended. Even nearly blinded by pain, I could feel familiar eyes on me, could feel their concern.

"You're staring at me," I stated, never moving from my position. In response, I felt the fluttering of warm fingertips against my neck. Hands curved themselves over my arms, rubbing against my skin in a soothing manner.

"I wish I could help, my love. Seeing you in this amount of pain is unbearable," Zakali replied, his deep voice comforting to hear. I didn't reply at first, easing through another contraction before speaking.

"There's not much you can do; this is nature's process," I told him, my voice falling silent as another particularly painful wave came to me and my hand moved to my very pregnant belly unconsciously as I breathed through it. I exhaled heavily and met his eyes. He held a washcloth in his hand and wiped my sweaty forehead, cooling me down and making me feel less disgusting. I smiled appreciatively as he touched his lips to mine momentarily.

"I just wish you would go to a hospital," he admitted. I smiled again, sympathetically and indulgently this time.

"You know we can't risk anything. Besides," I added, "women have been giving birth naturally for thousands of years," my smile was humorous now, "I should know." Zakali smiled softly, shaking his head at my remark then sighed.

"I at least wish you would allow my mother to assist you," he insisted but I shook my head. I had already explained this to him; this needed to be solitary, just us present. I refused to respond, concentrating on riding out the contractions. Three or four contractions later, I felt a change and the alteration of my posture, along with the slight moan that came from my mouth, alerted Zakali. Immediately, he was hovering over me.

"What can I do?" he asked, his cobalt eyes anxious. I didn't answer for a moment before inhaling sharply as the first overwhelming urge to push over whelmed me. My breathing came faster and deeper and I felt my fingers grip my mate's tightly. Unlike most women, I had seen thousands upon thousands of births and, thus, I did not shy away from the urge. Instead, I followed it, pushing instinctively throughout the contraction. Though it was a minor contraction in comparison to what was to come, I was slightly out of breath as the contraction faded.

"Get me on the bed. Now," I ordered, my voice quick and quiet. I felt his strong arms lift me securely and gently place me on the king size bed not far from the couch, avoiding touching me below the hips less he interfere. I moved onto my hands and knees, rocking my hips as I felt another contraction build up. Tucking my chin to my chest, I pushed, my body responding to its age old instincts. Exhaling and breathing deeply as the contraction faded, I look up to see Zakali watching me with a mixture of fear and awe.

"What?" I asked, near panting. I shook his head, his eyes still holding the odd emotions.

"You look glorious, darling," he explained. I scoffed in response as he reached forward to push my blonde hair out of my face, blotting my face with the damp washcloth. Two more contractions rippled through me. I could feel the baby progressing and, as I felt the head press against me to get out, I knew I had to change positions.

"Help me lay down. She's coming too fast," I murmured, my eyes closed as I focused on my internal physiology as much as possible. Zakali maneuvered himself underneath me, laying me down on the sheets. It was difficult to move with him since the baby's head was pushing at my vaginal opening but he helped me restate myself while keeping my legs spread and my hips open. I propped myself up on my elbow, one leg laying flat on the towels over the comforter while the other was pulled back as much as my flexibility would allow. I felt a hand on my thigh and felt grateful as Zakali held my leg back for me, his other arm curling under my back. Shaking my hair out of my face, I pushed again as my daughter fought her way out of my body. Though I was solely focused on safely delivering the baby, I did not miss the smile on Zakali's face as he watched beside me.

As the baby's head began to emerge, I moved my elbow from underneath me, leaning into Zakali's arm. From so many times delivering other women's children, my hand unconsciously curved around the baby's head as she continued to crown. My breathing was panting now but I didn't care. My fingers gently lay over my daughter's head, stroking her delicately as she came into the world. I pushed again and could not help the hushed cry of pain that left my lips as the head surfaced. I exhaled deeply for a few moments, allowing the head to turn spontaneously. Zakali's eyes were on my face, which I knew was covered in sweat.

"It's okay," I assured him, "I'm okay." He nodded, not actually believing me, but knowing not to intervene. As another set of contractions came on, I knew this was it. Putting in as much strength as I could in my fatigued state, I pushed as they came head on, and exhaled in a pained gasp as the baby's shoulders and then the rest of her body slipped out of me. My hands automatically caught her and I transferred her to my chest, cradling her in my arms. She began to cry, naturally, and a clean fleece towel was draped over her by her father. I lay against his arm, the umbilical cord still attached. I gently opened up her airways and nasal cavities, stroking her skin delicately, carefully. Though I had done this thousands of times, whether with or without modern medicine capabilities, it did not have the same effect on me as other births I have been present for. Clearing her mouth and nose calmed her and she lay against my bare chest, wrapped in the soft towel. I ran three fingers down her back soothingly and her eyes, before squeezed shut, opened.

Deep blue orbs looked back at me. Strikingly similar to Vincent Van Gogh's _Starry Night_ , her eyes were deep royal blue with flecks of gold in their cores. The blue reminded me so much of my own and Zakali's and, in looking down at my newborn daughter, I saw how much resemblance the she already had to both of us. She cried out suddenly and, instinctively, I moved her in range of my right nipple, sighing as she latched on hungrily. I looked up at Zakali then, our eyes locking in unexplainable emotion.

"She's perfect," he said simply and I nodded, salty tears sliding down my cheeks as I held my daughter to me closely.

"Ila," I murmured to her softly, repeating it over and over like a mantra. And, though she did not make any noticeable acknowledgement toward her name, I felt as if she understood it. My voice seemed to calm her more and I spoke to her softly in the ancient language which I had learned as a child, many years ago. As it was my first language, so it would be hers. I nuzzled her gently, cuddling her, my nose sliding against her skin softly. Zakali spoke then,

"Bela," he whispered, his finger tracing along her cheek as he repeated the long lost nickname of our village. I couldn't help the smile that came over my face as I held my daughter, after waiting too many lifetimes for her to arrive.

* * *

 **Hey everyone!**

 **This is the beginning of a new story partially based on my story _Analissa_. It will have a strong basis from Analissa and a sprinkle from my other stories.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Reviews are always appreciated!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	2. Different

Chapter 2: Different

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I awoke suddenly, startled by the light coming through my window. My eyes scrunched up as the daylight came through the curtains. Groggy from sleep, I got out of bed and pulled the fabric back, throwing my bedroom in Charlie's house into darkness again. I grabbed onto my desk in surprise as vertigo overwhelmed me, throwing me off balance. As my vision righted itself, I felt icy arms around me and I leaned into them gratefully.

"Are you ok, love?" Edward asked, his velvet voice worried. I sighed, laying my forehead against his freezing forearm. I was experiencing chills, my head was pounding. My abdomen was cramping painfully. I groaned quietly in response. I knew this feeling, though I had never experienced it first hand. Edward's anxiety spiked, sitting me down on the bed and throwing questions at me: how do I feel? Where does it hurt? I finally shushed him, rubbing my head meaningfully.

"You're making my headache worse," I said, smiling humorlessly. He quieted, his ocher eyes still worried. I got up from the bed and headed to my closet, pulling out a T-shirt, jeans, and a warm hoodie.

"I suppose you would disagree if I asked you to stay home today," he said and I smiled again in response, the expression petulant. He sighed, frustrated, but said nothing more. The ride to school was quiet; I kept my eyes closed most of the time as Edward and Alice spoke in hushed voices, their words so fast I didn't bother to catch them. It was a typical dreary morning in Forks, Washington and the day continued as it usually did. Neither the headache in my head nor the chills nor the pain in my abdomen diminished though. In fact, they augmented and became coupled with a feeling of weakness, like when you have the flu and every movement of your muscles hurts painfully as if you just finished running a marathon.

All these symptoms I recognized and a feeling of dread came to the forefront of my mind; though it had been present for over a year, the feeling always stayed in the background, waiting until now to overwhelm me. I could feel myself getting weaker and I knew that I would be expected to act. I should have done so long ago, but I couldn't.

I couldn't let them know.

But, as I fought to keep my eyes focused and my head somewhat clear, I began to believe that I wasn't going to have a choice in the end. I didn't completely understand it; yes, I had been neglecting my health; yes, I had been neglecting doing what I had been told, but the symptoms should have come much more gradually, not all at once as they had this morning. I shook my head, both from confusion and discomfort. I was vaguely aware that I was in English class, Edward and Alice by my side. Class has just ended and they were waiting for me to stand; I got unsteadily to my feet, feeling much weaker than I had ever felt in my life. Edward and Alice stared at me in concern as I slowly gathered my things. I believed each of them asked me if I was alright but I couldn't be sure, mostly from the hollow ringing in my ears. I continued instead, slowly leaving the room, both of them on my tail.

I was only a few steps down the hall when I had to reach out and hold onto the wall for support. I turned, pressing my sweating back against the cool, bare cinder block, my eyes closed and my head bowed, breathing heavily. Edward and Alice were there and Edward was asking me what was wrong. I didn't answer; my strength left me. My legs gave out and I felt myself falling for an instant before Edward's and Alice's hands caught me. Holding me up, they both persisted with questions but I could not understand any of them. I heard the pounding of blood in my head and the heat in my head overwhelmed me and I blacked out.

* * *

When I awoke, I heard the familiar sound of a heart monitor. I bolted upright in bed, taking in my surroundings. It was dark outside and I was in Carlisle's office, lying on a hospital bed. A heart monitor and IV were attached to me. I looked at my arms appraisingly; I breathed a small sigh of relief when I saw no other puncture wounds, meaning no one had taken my blood. I looked around the room again; I was alone. I tried to stretch my hearing beyond the room to no avail. I could tell my heart was pumping irregularly, about 110 beats per minute.

Uh oh. I knew what that meant. And I knew what it meant to the Cullens. I couldn't let them know. Not yet, if at all. I heard the slight movement on the stairs as someone heard my unsteady heartbeat pick up. I cringed away from the door as it opened. Carlisle and Edward were there, Carlisle' eyes going to the equipment then to me and Edward vice versa. Carlisle put his hands out, slowly coming toward me. My eyes wide, I tried to get away, but I was hooked up to too many wires and my body too weak to work properly.

"Bella, it's ok, it's ok," Carlisle assured me. I shook my head at him as the rest of the family entered the room, taking in the scene and my expression, which I knew held pain and fear. They were concerned for my fear, the fear they believed stemming from what they were. But it wasn't. It was for the fear of what I was, more closely, not wanting them to know what I was. I curled in on myself as my stomach cramped excessively, moaning slightly the ache overtook my muscles.

Edward made toward me before he stopped dead, turning toward the open window and the forest beyond. Not a split second later, a howl went up into the night sky.

"It's the wolves. They're here to attack," he snarled. Without a word, he and his brothers made toward the door. Carlisle quickly followed, already focusing on calming the boys down. Alice and Rosalie followed, Alice giving me a worried glance. Esme stayed with me, her amber eyes cautious; I avoided her gaze. Instead, I listened to the confrontation in the yard a story below.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Here's Chapter 2!**

 **I know this is very confusing but it will be settled soon if you continue reading!**

 **These are the preliminary chapters leading up to the good stuff—I have to set the scene before anything else makes sense!**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	3. Legends

Chapter 3: Legends

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The wolves came quickly and the Cullens met them in the yard. I heard hisses, shouts, and growls as the Quileutes made at the the vampires. Carlisle's voice rang above them.

"Enough! Stop this!" he said, his voice calm but ringing with authority. The snarling stopped, the Cullen children backing off while the wolves advanced, jaws snapping. Sam must have ordered the same, because it fell silent. There was rustling before the human voices of the werewolves spoke, mostly cursing at the Cullens. Sam silenced them though, his voice firm and icy.

"You have broken the treaty; you have killed on our land," Sam accused them; the Cullens were met with astonishment, probably looking between themselves, wondering who had done what. Esme gasped and darted downstairs at the accusation, joining her family and leaving me alone. I made to get up, steadying myself briefly as Sam continued.

"Ten people have been found, their bodies mangled and drained of blood. You have violated the treaty and killed our people," Sam's voice was now strained, angered but trying to maintain some control, though even I could tell he was vibrating by the way his voice shook. I stopped at the top of the stairs, peering down as Carlisle worked to deny the claims. The wolves weren't having it though and Paul, in particular, made a snap at Alice, which Jasper defended her, growling dangerously.

"Enough with this, Sam. Kill them! As they have killed our own!" Paul growled as his frame shuddered, trying to keep from phasing. I descended but no one noticed, the wolves' eyes focused on the vampires and vice versa. You couldn't cut the tension with a knife.

"If you're going to insist on persecuting them, you may want to find some real evidence, rather than just throwing around accusations," I said coldly. All eyes turned to me, the wolves unhappy and the Cullens surprised and slightly concerned. Edward pulled me into his embrace and I let him hug me gently as I looked up at Sam.

"For a group of people whose supposed duty is to catch and kill vampires, you don't know much about them, except for what you want to know," I tell him cooly. His face hardened and I felt Edward pull me tighter to him. When Sam didn't reply, I continued.

"Look at their eyes, Sam. You should know as well as I do that vampires that drink human blood have red eyes. And yet," I make a gesture toward the Cullens, "all their eyes are still gold, not a trace of red in them. A little strange, don't you think? Unless they've figured a way to somehow mask their diet in their eye color."

The other werewolves were too masked in anger to consider my words. Sam, though, being the most controlled, absorbed what I was saying. I saw him take in the butterscotch hue of the Cullens' eyes, his brow furrowing, wanting revenge but knowing that the Cullens could not have committed the act. His eyes returned to me, looking me up and down. I met his gaze evenly.

"I know and you know that these types of vampires did _not_ kill those people," I say firmly, my voice unconsciously taking on a new level of power. Sam's eyes squinted slightly, as he and the rest of our company took confusion at my choice of words; however, a mere moment passed before his eyes sparked as my words had the effect I intended on him. Sam backed down, much to everyone's confusion and the pack's aggravation.

"The Cullens are not at fault. They did not do this to our people," he declared to his pack, repeating my words almost exactly. The werewolves responded with sounds of defiance and anger.

"What the hell are you playing at, Sam?" Paul sneered, his frame shaking even more than before, if that was possible, "Their bodies were drained of blood, dammit! These leeches are guilty!"

"And that blind accusation is why I'm glad _you_ are not Alpha," I commented. Paul snarled at me, taking a step toward me before Sam barked an order.

"Enough, Paul!" Sam's voice was firm, commanding. Paul obeyed, though his eyes remained on me. I met his gaze half-way, my face unfazed. Suddenly, both the vampires and werewolves halted as they heard tires coming up the long driveway. Both parties remained frozen until Jacob's familiar Rabbit came into view. Inside was Sue Clearwater and Billy Black. No one moved as Sue helped Billy into his wheelchair and they both moved briskly toward the gathering on the Cullen's front lawn.

"Sam is right, Paul. The Cullens did not do this to our people. There is only one kind of vampire that is capable of such acts." Billy stated grimly, his withering face on first his son and the werewolves and then the Cullens.

"I'm sorry, but what do you mean by 'kind of vampire'?" Jasper asked suddenly. There was a beat of silence, the entire company taking Billy's words into consideration before agreeing with Jasper, the werewolves rather begrudgingly. Billy sighed, before looking at me. I didn't return his stare.

"May we come into the house? This story is better told inside," Billy asked Carlisle politely, his eyes scanning the area around them hesitantly. Though puzzled and confused by the lack of hostility in Billy's tone, Carlisle agreed, more intrigued than anything else. The entire party went inside and took places in the living room. I joined Edward on the sofa. I fixed my eyes on a distant spot to make it seem as if I were in a daze. Both the werewolves and the vampires huddled slightly around Billy, most of their backs to me. Billy took a deep breath before starting, addressing the werewolves.

"When you first changed and became a member of the pack, the legends that you had been told as a child, of our ancestors, of the spirit warriors, of our history with the Cold Ones, they all became your history, instead of just mere bedtime stories. When you phased, you knew everything you had been told was all fact, right down to the appearance of your enemies."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, though no one saw but Billy.

"However, nothing was ever said in regard to how our ancestors first had the ability to speak with spirits and eventually become werewolves. That is because the version you have heard your entire life is not complete. The origins of our kind is much more complex…because it is interlaced with the history of an unknowing ally." Billy paused then, looking toward Carlisle and the Cullens. He took a deep, steadying breath before speaking.

"The even older history of the Quileutes overlaps with that of the vampires, the stories regarding the origin of your own kind," Billy finally said. Everyone in the room apart from Billy and I straightened slightly from shock and intrigue. Billy deliberately looked at Carlisle now.

"They"—pointing toward the werewolves— "have never heard the story about the origins of your kind," Billy said before continuing. "If you don't mind, would you mind telling it? We Quileutes have never heard the full vampiric story," he requested. Carlisle nodded slightly after a moment, clearing his throat unnecessarily before he began. The Cullens relaxed slightly in their positions, having already heard the story before. Carlisle's voice was still unsure as he began.

"The history of where vampires come from dates back many, many years; no one knows exactly how long ago, but further enough back that no one alive can remember it or recount it. A immeasurable amount of time ago, there was the first vampire that was ever brought into existence, and he was different than any vampire today; he was warm-blooded and stronger and faster than any vampire to ever live. But what made him so extraordinary was not his enhanced abilities but the great supernatural power he possessed, power which is the basis for the supernatural gifts of modern vampires. His gifts, though, were more powerful than the gifts of dozens of vampires combined. He lived a typical life among the humans, though they all feared him except for one human girl. She didn't shy away from him and, though he was innately alluring to his prey, she saw through the superficial beauty and charm down to his 'soul', as you may call it"—Edward and the other vampire children made faces at the mention of a vampire having a soul—"She knew he was different than any one else. He found his mate in her and she, who knew of the danger he posed, fell in love reciprocally."

I could feel Edward's eyes on me as that part was told, knowing he felt the similarities between the story and our situation. But I refused to look at him.

"They married and, one night, he asked her to become like him, that he knew he could make her like him, though he had never done it. He warned her that she had to give up everything in her life; she had to leave her family and life behind if she chose to become like him. She agreed, her love for him stronger than her ties to her human life. He changed her and she became equally as powerful, in both physical and metaphysical terms. They lived together and made more of their kind, but the new vampires were all different compared to the them. These were the first of the breed of vampires that live today, with rock-hard skin and cold-blooded bodies, making their skin freezing to the touch. There were many in the beginning, and the first vampire coven was formed, the interrelationships very close because of the shared venom between them at the hand of the first two vampires. The coven, including the first two, moved from place to place; and, though they were the prey, the humans they encountered saw their enhanced abilities and thought of them as gods, capable to give them happiness or despair depending on how they treated the vampires. The coven looked up to the first two as their leaders, who guided and instructed them, and soon the first vampire and his mate were believed to be vampiric royalty, as they were the first of the line of vampires, a line considered sacred because no vampire created was similar to the first vampire or his mate, whether in strength, speed, hearing, or in supernatural talents. The first vampire and his mate were given the name 'Sanralae' and were given a high level of protection by their coven, which lived contentedly with their 'king' and 'queen' for a time.

"However, their utopian life ended suddenly, and very tragically. A third breed of vampire was created, a breed more wicked and horrible than any vampire would ever think to be. This vampire was stronger and faster than all the vampires, as physically powerful as even the first vampire himself, and had a high level of intellectual slyness. He wanted to rule the vampire race as the Sanralae did and sought to kill them and take over. His strength and speed, along with his cunning, allowed him to nearly wipe out the entire vampire race. However, the Sanralae survived, hidden along with the few vampires that had been assigned to protect them. The coven was reduced from several dozen to a mere handful and the Sanralae. The survivors' familial ties with the lost devastated them; but most of all, they feared the new creature, who seemed to be unstoppable. The creature continued, unwavering, into human towns, killing hundreds of innocents and destroying countless villages in hours. Despite the creature's strength and other powers, the Sanralae refused to back down. The need for vengeance for the family they had lost led to the two going alone to find the creature. When they did, they destroyed it, their combined strengths superior enough to the creature's. However, the creature had already made others of its kind. The Sanralae and the last of its coven went after the newly created vampires, painstakingly destroying them one at a time. All the creatures were ultimately killed, but there were few vampires left, including the Sanralae.

"The Sanralae instructed the remaining vampires to disband and reproduce, but not in excess. They were instructed to allow the race to survive by scattering across the globe so that vampires could not be so easily wiped out. Above all, they were instructed to not reveal any details about the creation of the creature, but only warn of the destruction that accompanies its creation. The Sanralae feared that the draw of such extreme power, both physical and nonphysical, would be enticing for even the righteous of beings. The Sanralae disappeared, fearing the safety of the coven due to their presence. Without anyone knowing where the Sanralae were, the vampires were left with no option but to follow their leaders' orders. And that's what happened; the vampires continued to reproduce and the vampire race grew.

"With each passing generation, some vampires were found to have a certain gift, which marks a more direct tie to the original vampire coven, who all had supernatural talents because of the Sanralae's venom. As time went on, a gifted vampire spoke a prophecy that, one day, the Sanralae would have a child and this child, the offspring of the two most powerful vampires on Earth, would have even greater abilities than its parents, power beyond any vampire's imaginations."

Carlisle's story was met with silence from the others. The Cullens, all having heard the story before at least once, were merely impatient, waiting to hear the purpose behind the story telling. The werewolves mulled the story over in their heads, struck by how the vampire legends and their own were very similar in relation to the presence of lineage and also wondering where the legends converge on each other. Billy was the first to speak, his eyes slightly far away as he spoke.

"Thank you. I appreciate you telling your histories; it will make this next part more clear," he said before clearing his throat.

"The Quileutes tribe were initially all human, no more unique than any other human tribe that existed in their time. However, long ago, a vampire came into our village and befriended our ancestors. The Quileutes, like you say in your legend, saw the vampire as a 'god'. When the tribe encountered a deadly drought and people were starving to death, the vampire helped by giving some of her venom to some of the men and women in the tribe. The venom saved enough people and allowed our tribe to go on. However, the vampire gave us something much more precious. Because of her venom, we gained the ability to become spirit warriors and, subsequently, become shape-shifters. The Quileutes' abilities stem from the interaction of both species. Our ability to phase, our enhanced senses, the 'magic', as you may call it, in our genes, our spiritual heritage would not have existed without the vampires."

The story was again met with silence, but this time the room was filled with audible shock. The Cullens were as surprised as the werewolves, who were having a hard time grasping that their sworn enemy was actually the reason behind their life and who they were as a whole.

"If you know this part of the legend, why don't you tell the members of the pack once they change?" Esme asked. Billy met her gaze cautiously.

"Because it is rather difficult to explain to young werewolves the complexity of the situation. I say this because the vampire warned the Quileutes about the creature that your legend speaks of, and said that we must use our abilities to defend ourselves against them."

"But I thought the legend said that all these creatures were destroyed and the secret to their creation was never revealed. So how could they still be created if no one knew about them, let alone how to make them?" Seth asked. Billy was about to answer but Carlisle answered first.

"Actually, they were created again and are supposedly still existing today, in secret. According to the legend, none of the vampires of the original coven would have given away any secrets about how the transformation occurs; however, many believe that another 'accident' occurred, just like the first time, causing the transformation process to be revealed, but not to the entirety of the vampiric world, which is why most do not know of their real existence or the method of transformation. This is because many vampires were intrigued by the possibility of the power the transformation would bring but would stay quiet, sharing only with those that were also interested or who had already transformed themselves. It became like a cult, where only members knew the truth behind these creatures. However, no such group has ever been brought to light. Supposedly, though most vampires don't know or believe that these creatures exist, those that do either become one or work for them. There are even humans in such circles, hoping to be rewarded with being turned into one."

"So if the Sanralae have been gone for so long and vampires are spread out all over the world, what are these creatures working toward then?" Paul asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. The werewolves, though unwillingly, were interested in the vampire legends. Carlisle smiled slightly before answering.

"The child. The Heir of the Sanralae," he answered. The werewolves looked amongst each other, confused about the connection. Carlisle continued before they could ask.

"The Heir of the Sanralae is said to have extreme physical and supernatural power, power beyond its parents. The legend goes that the child would be strong enough to permanently eliminate this third breed of vampire from existence, once and for all. How, you ask? It is said that the creatures will expose themselves to the vampire world, and perhaps even the human world, more powerful than the original creatures in such high, strong numbers. The creatures will be unstoppable, but the Heir, with its unparalleled abilities, would allow for complete extinction of the creatures, as its parents did a long time ago, eliminating the world of 'evil'."

"The ancient Quileutes," Billy said, "were told of the legend of the Heir and they swore that they would protect the child, if and when he or she was born."

"Likewise, according to the vampire story, the Sanralae kept in close contact with the original vampires even after their disappearance, but in complete secret. These vampires, which still felt the need to protect the Sanralae, created an secret order specifically designed to work for and protect the Sanralae, to this day. The order is a secret society that is interwoven into all aspects of the vampire world, its sole mission to protect the Sanralae and the Heir, should the prophecy come true. However, as generations of vampires went on and neither the Sanralae nor the heir revealed themselves, the newer vampires, who had only heard about it through the telling of the stories, began to scoff at the truth behind it and story became merely legend and folklore."

"Which is exactly was it is," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes. Everyone looked at her, to which she responded, "Come on. It's obvious it's made up. Vampires cannot have children. That's part of the definition of being a vampire."

"According to the legend, that's part of what makes the child so special. Initially, because vampires are, 'by definition' as you say, sterile, the vampires did not believe that the prophecy could actually come true. It is accepted that part of being a vampire is his/her sterility, a fact that has been key in the debate of the 'naturality' of vampires. The birth of the heir would go against all established facts of vampirism and, thus, turn the vampire world upside down. Not only that, but the child would prove the existence of what some might call 'magic'." Carlisle countered. Rosalie scoffed, disbelievingly.

"I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the story time, but why is all this being brought up? It's old news as far as to mature vampires; everyone hears the story at least once in their life," Jasper asked. The other Cullens, minus Carlisle, nod slightly in agreement. Billy looked to Carlisle questioningly. Billy again clears his throat before speaking, his voice suddenly holding an edge.

"Do you believe in the legends?" he asked bluntly. Carlisle replied swiftly, having had to answer this question a few times in his three hundred years.

"I believe it may be possible. There is no proof to any of it or of the concept of two vampires conceiving and having a ch—" Billy interrupted then.

"I am not asking if you believe in the facts. I'm asking if you believe in the legends." Carlisle paused for a moment, reflecting. The other Cullens, as well as the werewolves, watched him as he deliberated, curious about the answer of the eldest member present.

"Asking such a question does not bear a simple answer. It is the same as asking a human if they believe what is in the Bible. The things that have said to have occurred, and that will occur, is an area where you debate between what your eyes and brain are telling you, what you know is real, and accepting what you have never experienced. However…" he paused before continuing, "I want to believe the stories are real. Such things are incredible beyond comprehension. It would give me solace in my own existence and in what I do not understand. In a simple 'yes' or 'no', there is no such thing for this question as it is a hard concept to grasp. But I do know that I do hope for them to be true."

Billy nodded, accepting the answer. The others, both the vampires and the werewolves, mulled over Carlisle's answer, mentally taking their own stances.

"However…" Carlisle suddenly continued.

"A few old friends of mine which I have been in contact in are avid believers in the accuracy of the legends. And recently they have told me that there has been a stirring, in both the secret order and those who believe in it."

"A stirring of what, exactly?" Edward asked. Carlisle had not shared this with the rest of the Cullens and, thus, they leaned forward at the new information.

"There have been rumors that there has been a movement; something has changed. No one knows what it is, whether it is in favor of the legends or not. All they think is that something has happened to make the scale sway one way or the other," Carlisle replied. Billy nodded.

"Our Council has heard such things too, with our communicators in other areas. However, I believe that the scales have tipped even more so after what has happened tonight."

"What do you know?" Carlisle asked, curious, as was everyone else. Everyone leaned forward infinitesimally in anticipation. Billy paused, his eyes narrowing sightly.

"I have reason to believe that, these creatures you speak of, have just killed ten people on our reservation."

No one moved.

No one spoke.

No one did anything, except take it in.

Take in the idea that the legends that they have just heard, that have been carried down for generation upon generation, may be as true as the recollections in the newspaper, and that these legends, if they be true, bring both extreme hope and extreme horror along with them.

And, right now, the horror may only be a few miles away.

 **Hi guys! Sorry this took forever!**

 **I've been warring with myself for days on end on how I wanted this chapter to go and I finally got to where I'm satisfied with it. I cannot wait until the subsequent chapters as they are my upcoming favorites. But I couldn't write them until this was done.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy! Please favorite and review! It keeps me going, especially when I hear and see that people actually enjoy this story and others! I will posting another AN on Miracle of Love and my other stories to promote this story because I absolutely love it since I have it all planned out!**

 **Okay, I'm done talking. Might post again before the end of this weekend :)**

 **Love you all!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	4. Fight

Chapter 4: Fight

* * *

The Cullens were going to La Push, upon Billy's request, to investigate the bodies of the dead, to determine whether their demises were at the hand of their kind or of something else. The "something else" is what everyone was so anxious about, not ready to accept that the creatures that had lived in their legends could actually spring from the pages and be completely real. Carlisle was looking over some old manuscripts he had on the creatures—texts which he kept both for scientific and personal reasons—and they all would be leaving in a few minutes.

I was in the kitchen now, unconsciously munching on an apple I had found, when suddenly I felt arms around me. I hugged Edward back tightly before craning my neck up to look at him.

"Were you scared by the stories?" He asked, his eyes worried. I smiled half-heartedly.

"No. I thought they were very interesting. You never told me about them," I replied, feigning my intrigue in the stories I already knew by heart.

"I figured you wouldn't be interested in them. They're just old myths," he said.

"So you don't believe in them?" I asked, cocking my head to the side, genuinely curious.

He shrugged around me.

"I don't know what to believe. When I was human, I didn't believe in such idiotic nonsense," he admitted. I couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"I'm guessing you didn't believe in vampires as a human, did you?"

He met my eyes, his own amused now, though I could see the darkness underneath that could only come from his kind's legends taking seed in reality.

"Yes. So I don't know what to believe." I laid my head on his shoulder, sighing deeply.

"Are you feeling well? You worried me after today at school," he tried to ask nonchalantly but I could tell he was fretting about me.

"I'm better. I felt sick and I still do, though not as much. I guess the IV did help a bit," I pretended to admit. I refused to allow him to see the lie in my words. I knew I wasn't well, but I would never admit that to him or the family; it is not something they could understand at the moment, with all this mayhem going on.

"I want you to stay here while we go deal with this at La Push," he said. I looked up to meet his gaze.

"You're willing to leave me here alone, unprotected?" I asked, slightly shocked.

"You're safer here than on La Push. And, if these things"—he almost hissed the word—"are real and are here, they will go after us before you."

I felt a wave of fear come over me. I knew he was wrong, but he didn't. But even still, even if he was right, his safety in the balance did not sit well with me.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I admitted, one hand curling over my abdomen as it clenched with pain, both physical and emotional. Edward tightened his hold on me and I clamped one hand around his bicep that was around my shoulders, hugging him back at much as I could.

"It will be ok, I promise you. With my mind-reading and Alice's visions, not to mention our strength in numbers and the wolves on our side, we will be fine," he assured me, overconfident. I didn't respond.

Minutes later, the Cullens departed, Edward kissing me passionately and Alice giving me a hug before they left. Carlisle instructed me to relax and get better, but since I couldn't do either, I sat in the living room, my eyes closed, trying to focus. I hadn't tried to do this in a long time, so I struggled a bit in the beginning, but finally it worked.

My eyes opened, mentally, and I saw everything the Cullens saw. They were at La Push and were inspecting the ten bodies. They lay all over the reservation, some in the woods, some by the beach, some in the houses. The latter is where they were now, inspecting the body of a young woman that lay dead in her bedroom. She was completely drained of blood and every bone in her body was broken, deliberately and unnecessarily. I fought the urge to shudder; yes, this was definitely not the work of modern vampires. I heard crying and saw Emily, Sam's imprint, holding a toddler, who was sobbing her little eyes out into Emily's shoulder. It did not take much to determine that the dead woman was Emily's sister, and the little girl's—Claire's—mother. Anger burned in me, anger at the loss and at what I knew was going to happen.

I felt my body get to its feet in the middle of the Cullen's living room, and I felt my body running, flying faster than it had in a very long time. I felt the burning in my legs as my ragged, starved body protested the supernatural movement but I ignored it, racing toward La Push while my mind stayed there. I could feel the presence, even in my mental state, before the Cullens did, having been taught to notice it since I was young. It wasn't long though before the Cullens and werewolves took notice, but they ignored their instincts. A black SUV pulled up a few hundred yards away and they all paused, stopping to take in their surroundings.

It was a mistake.

It came from behind, targeting Emily, who was cradling a sobbing Claire. They both screamed as it hit them full force, knocking them to the ground. Blood spurted from their bodies and I pushed myself faster, hurrying to get to them. The vampires and werewolves reacted simultaneously but the werewolves were closer. Quil snarled fiercely, lunging toward the creature, only to be thrown back, whimpering. The SUV's doors opened to reveal four young human men, who made toward the group. Meanwhile, the creature turned toward its attacker, smiling devilishly. The werewolves followed suit, their shared mental state reacting to the agony Quil and Sam were experiencing at the attack of their imprints.

The Vercrian was elated, enticed by the fight. He met the wolves head on, attacking with such speed and strength; the humans assisted in the fight, pulling guns out and aiming at the wolves. It was hard to miss the horse-size beasts and, thus, all the werewolves were on the ground in less than a few minutes. The Cullens hurried to their defense. They fought the Vercrian, but they were not prepared, as I expected and feared them to be. It did not take long before they were losing, and fast. That pushed me over the edge and I felt myself painfully break through my mental barrier at the same time I broke through the brush of the trees that stood behind the house where the fighting was taking place. One of the humans noticed me first and hurried toward me, a knife in his hand. He was younger than the others, only 16. I grabbed the knife and swiveled it around faster than he expected, plunging it into his heart, killing him instantly. The rush of blood from the wound that dripped over my fingers alerted the rest of the party.

The Vercrian pivoted, looking on the source of the bloodshed. His eyes, sickeningly black from the center of his pupils to where the whites of his eyes should be, widened with a new level of shock and anger.

"You," he hissed, his voice deadly. I met his gaze head on, my own face determined. The other humans stopped attacking the Cullens and Quileutes to watch their master, curious. The vampires and werewolves, though, beaten down from the fight by a single vampire and a handful of humans, were horrified as it made toward me. I did not back down though. The Vercrian was stronger and faster than I was; that was certain. He was young, though, and had not been fully taught the techniques to correctly defeat an opponent. We circled, each of us working to find the other's weakness. The Vercrian made the first move, slicing at me with his fingers. I refused to make a sound as my flesh tore, blood pouring down my side. We continued a fighting dance, him making swipes at me and me dodging them. The tactics I learned were effective enough to keep myself from losing for the moment, but I knew I need to give myself the upper hand and I needed to make a move and fast, as I could feel my body beginning to wane. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a glimpse of Esme; she was lying on the ground, Carlisle beside her, both of them staring at the match between the Vercrian and me. Anger boiled through me again and the reacting adrenaline rocketed through my veins and I felt a surge of power and I used it.

I went on the offense, attacking. The Vercrian reacted but not fast enough, shocked that I had made an advance and with such speed. I took the knife that I had taken from the human that lay dead a few feet away and jabbed it under the creature's ribcage, pushing it up into his heart and twisting 180 degrees. The Vercrian howled as I jumped back for a moment, hands over his heart as blood pumped out of the jagged hole I had made. The heart was healing already though and I knew I would only have seconds. I attacked again, using my bare hands. I was no where near full strength but the rage and blood lust I felt was enough for the few moments I had left. I threw my weight against the creature—he was not that much bigger than me—and he fell to one knee, which was all I needed. Using the rest of my strength, I grabbed his skin, fingernails digging in painfully, and, bringing my head down to his jugular, my teeth bit down, hard.

The Vercrian screamed in agony as my venom, though not fully pungent, flowed into his bloodstream, going to his heart in mere seconds. He fell, and I fell with him, collapsing as my body sagged. I was up immediately though, as the humans had started their attack on the vampires and werewolves again. I made toward the humans, slowly. The vampires and werewolves were defenseless as they used their weaknesses against them, fire against the vampires and guns against the wolves. Even though I had just taken down a creature that was thousands of times stronger than them, I knew I wouldn't be able to take them down physically. They heard my approach and swiveled to point their guns and tasers at me. I met their gazes impassively.

"Don't move!" one yelled; he looked about as Irish as was physically possible, his hair fire-engine red and freckles spattered across his face. Of the other two, one was short and stout and the other looked like the emo kid that everyone shunned in middle school, characteristic of the people who would think to join the Vercrian's side. I took another step toward them.

"I said don't move, you bitch!" Mr. Ireland growled. I stopped and looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"That's offensive," I said calmly. The three didn't move an inch, at least by human standard. I could see them trembling from thirty feet away.

"Not as offensive as you are," Munchkin Guy sneered and I couldn't help but laugh humorlessly.

"What did I ever do to you, may I ask? You've never met me before in your life," I asked. The fact I was responding and how nonchalant I was acting disturbed the boys. Mr. Ireland, the leader I guess, answered.

"Your existence is enough! The very air you breathe is a disgrace to the vampire world, Kadali," he says. I smirk again.

"Well now, that's a little overkill, don't you think? No matter, I'm not in the mood to talk," I say. The three are dumbfounded, looking between each other before tightening their grips on their guns. I smiled, amused.

"You boys have obviously don't have much experience with guns," I tease. They were angered by the remark.

"You shouldn't be offending us when you're about to die," Emo dude said. I smiled wider.

"Do you boys really think you can kill me? Ha," I laughed slightly, "you would've done it a while ago if that were true. Now, let's see how much you actually know about the weapons you hold in your hands." Gathering up the mere fumes of my strength, physical and mental, I met the leader's eyes. I felt his resolve crumble immediately as my eyes overpowered him and he became a puppet at my disposal.

"Why don't you put the gun in your mouth? That's it," I crooned as the kid's hands obeyed, taking the gun in his hand and turning it around and placing the tip between his teeth, his lips falling over the cool metal. His partners stared in shock, their faces horrified.

"Don't listen to her, Pat!" Munchkin Guy pleaded, his and the other's feet frozen in place from fear. They could not move they are so scared. Good. I kept my eyes on Pat and allowed his eyes and brain to register what he is doing. He was shocked and scared, but unable to move a muscle unless I let him.

"Now, pop quiz: how many pounds of force is needed for this particular weapon to fire?" I asked casually. The other humans were trembling so hard they are vibrating. None of them answered.

"I'll give you the answer: five. So, Pat, put four pounds of force onto the trigger. There we go," I said, my voice soft and smooth as silk. Pat obeyed, but the tears in his eyes showed that he wish he couldn't. His friends were trying to get away but I don't let them. Instead, I juggled holding Pat's commands steady as I looked toward the emo guy. I could hear the slight brush of cool metal against his jeans from his every movement.

"Put your knife on the ground," I said. He stared. I sighed, frustrated, and rolled my eyes. "The one strapped to your right ankle." He stared more, but obeyed me, his body trembling. I instructed him to kick it over to me and he does. I dropped the knife I was holding and picked up his, feeling it in my hands as my eyes lazily went back to Pat's.

"How does it feel, Pat? To be robbed of your own mobility and at the mercy of another being? To nibble on the barrel of your own gun, an inch away from death?" I asked, my voice enticing. Pat sobbed underneath the metal in his mouth, praying. I couldn't help the smile on my face. The feeling of control was something I had not felt in a long time and, though the circumstances could be better, I felt comfort in feeling somewhat like myself again. I then changed my tactic.

"Ok, Pat, you can take the gun out now," I said as I relaxed my mental hold on him. He pulled the gun out quickly, breathing fast and heavy, terrified. They thought I was done with my games. But I was not.

"Kill them," I whispered. Pat obeyed immediately, without hesitation, turning and putting a bullet in each of the men beside him, killing them instantly. After seeing what he did, he dropped the gun, horrified.

"You are a demon, Kadali," he gasped. I was already on him before he finished. I gripped his shirt tightly, at least enough that he didn't think to try to escape.

"Look who's talking, Pat. I find that many people, including myself, despise child molesters," I snarled. His eyes widened; he now knew that I know about his sick pleasures. Countless children, all under the age of eight. It made me sick. Only such twisted people could ever have the thought to become Vercrian. He tried to be witty.

"When I am awakened, I can have as many of them as I wish," he sneered, entertained by the thought. I smiled as wickedly while resisting the urge to throw up.

"You will never be 'awakened'. You have a minute to live," I replied. His eyes widened again, this time with fear. He knew I am serious and he began to grasp at straws.

"But your kind, they are merciful. You are merciful; certainly, you would not kill me," he said, trying to play nice by advocating for my side. But he failed to see my resolve.

"Yes, we can be. And I would also prefer to not kill you in front of my family. I also give you credit for being able to recognize me," I said and I saw him relax. His mistake. My grip tightened so his air was cut off.

"However, we are also smart. And I know for a fact that if I let you live, you will continue on your road to become Vercrian, assaulting children as you go. And I will not allow either." My statement struck the most purest form of fear imaginable and I smell urine begin to seep from his clothes. I hold him farther away from him, my nose wrinkling slightly.

"Please, have mercy. I will fix my ways!" he begged breathlessly but I shook my head.

"I know you are lying."

"Please! I don't want to die!" he wailed and I couldn't help my smile.

"I know. Most humans don't. However, until the day of their death, they wake up in the morning and think they will live forever, knowing they won't. Death can come for them at anytime, as it has come for you now. I will compromise with you, only because I am doing this publicly. I will kill you painlessly; you will not feel a thing, which is not something you can say for your own victims." I finished my little monologue with a smile. Quickly, swiftly, I plunged the knife into his sternum. Keeping my promise, he died instantly, and I threw him to the ground.

I collapsed, breathing heavily as my mind and body screamed and writhed in the agony I just put them through. Taking a unsteady breath, I turned to look at the Cullens and Quileutes and take in their open mouths.

 **Hi everyone! Here's another chapter! Hope you guys enjoy! Will probably post at least one chapter by tonight!**

 **BTW, if anyone is a fan of A Family's Love, I've been bombarded with requests to continue it and I am thinking about it now. Just so you know! But this story would be my priority!**

 **Please review! I love your comments!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	5. Injury

Chapter 5: Injury

They didn't say anything, and neither did I. I could feel and see their shock, their fear, but, most of all, their betrayal. I broke my gaze with them, my eyes falling to Emily and Claire. Emily was holding Claire to her tightly and I could smell both of their blood on Emily's clothing. The Cullens and wolves followed my gaze and seemed to wake up, Carlisle, Sam, and Quil hurrying forward to help them. In the distance, I could see Billy and Sue coming toward us. They joined Emily on the ground. All of the adults worked to calm Claire down, who was screaming from fear and pain.

Carlisle was trying to get her calm enough to examine and treat her wounds. But when he saw them, his face turned white, even for him. Esme had joined him and the Cullens and other wolves watched on, deliberately not looking at me. I watched the scene as if in third-person. Claire was hurt, badly. The Vercrian had ripped away most of the skin around her left eye and cheek. She was blind. No surgery could fix that and her face would be forever scared, worse so than even Emily's. The toddler was sobbing from her one good eye, screaming how much it hurt and how she couldn't see. Carlisle held her still, helpless, knowing he could do nothing, and everyone else knew it too.

But I could. I steeled myself, forcing myself up from my kneeling position, ignoring the ache in my muscles and head. I lifted my fingers to my mouth, saturating them with my saliva, my venom. My arm ached from the movement, my body trying to heal itself, the tissues struggling to seam back together. They heard my approach and backed off immediately, wary and partially scared. It hurt that they were afraid of me but I couldn't focus on that right now. I knelt beside Claire. She was still crying but she was staring at me too.

" _Hush, little darling, it's going to be ok,_ " I murmured to her. The words were not in a language she knew, but the softness of my words comforted her slightly. Gently, I caressed the injured side of her face with my fingertips, allowing my venom to be absorbed into her skin from the corner of her eye to the tip of her chin. She froze, her body automatically locking as the side of her face tingled, while I grabbed a piece of the shirt I was wearing and ripped it quickly. When I looked up to her eyes, I took her hands away from her face gently, wiping both with the fabric. The tears stopped streaming from her eyes and her hands went to her face. I leaned back, sighing heavily as Claire's little hands explored her face, which had healed itself, completely clear, the blood no more, her vision regained.

The Cullens and wolves stared at me, their eyes even more confused than before. However, the betrayal was now coupled with awe. The combinations of emotions would have been amusing; but it wasn't, as my body began to tremble again, my strength finally giving out. I placed my hands on the ground in front of me, holding myself somewhat upright while I looked up to meet Edward's gaze.

"Edward…" I said. It was a cross between a cry of pain and of desperation. He only hesitated a moment before he was besides me, taking my weight. I collapsed into his arms, struggling to breathe deeply as my head spun and my heart pounded. One of my hands was pressed against my chest as my heart ached from the effort the past few minutes had caused. Carlisle and Esme were hovering over me as Edward held me and I heard them call my name. I looked up, my vision blurring. But I could hear what they asked.

"What do you need us to do?" Carlisle asked. I didn't answer immediately, gathering up the strength to respond, and even then, it was only a whisper.

"Take me back to the house," I murmured almost inaudibly. I hoped they understood. Apparently, they did. I kept my eyes close as Edward picked me up carefully and started running at vampire speed toward the house. I did not know whether the rest of the Cullens or the wolves would follow us, but I didn't have the strength to check. Instead, I forced my brain to work, to figure out a way to tell the story I knew would come.

 **Hey everyone! :) :)**

 **Hope you guys are enjoying it so far!**

 **Please review!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	6. Liar

Chapter 6: Liar

It only took a few minutes to arrive at the house. When we did, Edward immediately brought me up to his bedroom, laying me gingerly on the colossal king bed. My body was shuddering from the cold, and not just the cold of the Edward's skin. I didn't have the strength to pull the covers over me but Edward guessed at my discomfort and lifted the comforters over my body before retreating to the end of the bed, the rest of his family joining him as they waited for me to speak. I didn't. Impatient, they forced me.

"You saved Claire. She would have been blind and scarred for life," Carlisle informed me. I knew this, and continue to gaze at him and the rest of Cullens, making no indication that I was going to answer. When they realized this, they pushed.

"How, Bella?" Edward asked. I met his eyes. I could see confusion in his amber eyes; I could also see awe, a hint of fear and a hint of betrayal. I sighed, looking away from his gaze at my hands, twisting my fingers for a few moments before answering quietly.

"Your legends aren't complete. There is another facet of the story which no one knows about," I said. They were confused, but before they could ask, I answered, taking a deep breath before beginning.

"It's not something you all can really understand; it is hard for most vampires to understand the purpose behind it. But most of you were the youngest in your family when you changed."

"What do you mean?" Esme asked, her eyes worried, primarily for my wellbeing.

"According to the full legend, the human girl in the story, though she gave up her human life for the life of a vampire, she did not forget those she left behind. She kept track of her human family, her sister living on to bear children. Her lineage was carefully recorded and protected, and her family tree lives to this day. The reason this was hidden is because, should the Sanralae killed, the last descendant of the human line would be next in line to take the Sanralae's place. Thus, the line has been kept hidden, because the Vercrian can take out the human line much easier than the Sanralae."

"The _what_?" Jasper asked.

"Vercrian. Pronounce _Ver-cree-an_ ," I answered, "It is the name of the creature in the story and the name of what just attacked you."

"How do you know this?" he asked, suspicious, an emotion shared among the Cullens.

"For the same reason I know this part facet of the story," I answered curtly.

"Why are you telling us this?" Rosalie asked. I met her gaze evenly.

"Because you want answers, and I'm trying to give them to you," I answer calmly.

"If you're going to give any answers, how about the part that you just killed four humans without even touching them?" she demanded, getting on her feet. I kept my gaze, looking up at her.

"I killed one of them with a knife. And do not tell me any of you really care for them; they were attacking you, and they would have killed you if I didn't do something," I replied.

"Then explain to us _how_ in the _hell_ you were able to kill them? And how you were knew that guy was a child rapist!" Rosalie continued, her voice angry.

"I cannot tell you that. I'm sorry," I looked down finally, at my hands again.

"Ok, then, answer us this: why are you telling us this part of the story? Why does it matter if it's never been included in the original legend?" Carlisle asked, his voice firm but calm. I saw him give Rosalie a look, to which she sat down with a huff, arms across her chest. I didn't answer at first; after a few shuddering breaths though, I forced it out.

"Because that's the reason I'm here," I looked up as I finished, waiting for their reactions. They were confused yet again, looking between each other before returning their eyes to me.

"I came here because of this part of the story. I would have never come to Forks to begin with if not for the story," I said.

"What do you mean? What do you and Forks have to do with this?" Alice asked. I met her gaze when I spoke. I took a deep breath before revealing the crucial part.

"Because that last of the human line was here when I chose to come to Forks."

The declaration was met with silence. None of them knew what to say. I continued.

"So…you mean…" Edward began but I cut him off.

"Yes, Edward. Yes," I told him, "You're wrong, Alice. The history is real. The Sanralae and the first coven was real. What happened to them and the first vampire coven in the story really happened. The family tree of the first human-turned-vampire exists."

The vampires were in shock; though they have had many indicators of the truth behind the legend, hearing the truth out loud was the resolving factor. Though understandably shaken from the legends turned reality, they also recalled true nature of the Vercrian and they quaked slightly at how close they were to such a wicked being. But they were distracted by the next

"You know who the descendant is?" Esme asked. They were all leaning toward me in anticipation. Hesitantly, I nodded.

"Are they still here now?" I nod.

"Do we know them?" I nod again.

"Who is it, Bella?"

 **Hey everyone! Two chapters in one day!**

 **Cliffhanger, I know! Sorry! But it's the best way to not reveal too much and keep the story flowing for the next chapter!**

 **Please review! Love you guys! So happy to see my seasoned veterans back from my other stories (sujari6, YaleAceBella12) and seeing new ones bloom!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	7. Rose

Chapter 7: Locket

I didn't answer immediately; I couldn't. I didn't want to turn their worlds even more upside down than I already had. But I couldn't; they needed to know, at least this part, at least for a little while. I sighed and raised my eyes to them, seeing their anxious expressions, before looking out the window into nothingness. I resituated myself, sitting crosslegged, before them as I spoke.

"The descendant is a vampire, one whose human life was taken from them abruptly, at the fault of the vampire world which she didn't consciously know existed," I murmured. My eyes met theirs, flickering from slowly from one to the other. Edward, Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, Esme, Rosalie, Alice. When my eyes landed on Alice, they stayed there for a moment and I felt her begin to panic. I smiled slightly before moving my eyes back, my eyes connecting to hers.

Rosalie stared at me incredulously. I didn't break our gazes as I watched her take it in.

"No way, no way in _hell_ ," she said, in denial.

"How would you know? You don't remember much about your human life," I replied.

"Bull. I remember everything," she retorted.

"Only the things you wanted to or were able to remember," I countered. She was about to respond when I cut her off.

"You really think Royce and his friends raped you for no reason other than desire?" I asked. She opened her mouth to give an enraged remark but closed it as her mind processed what I asked, reading between the lines.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her eyes still angry but also wary. I smiled without amusement.

"You were never meant to survive that night, Rosalie. The rape was a marginal benefit for the men who attacked you, additional pleasure alongside what they were being to paid to rob you of your life." I told her and, even though she wore an impassive mask on the outside, I felt her quake internally. But she fought it back and returned to the conversation with more ardency

"I have no reason to believe your nonsense. You weren't even alive," she snapped, arms across her chest, defensive against what she feared.

"I wasn't alive for World War II, either. But I know it happened," I countered.

"That's because there's evidence, documents, people who lived through it. Including all the people in this room," Rosalie's reply was haughty.

"Exactly," I agreed. She paused, her eyes roaming mine, trying to find something to object to. My response had thrown her off though, and she thought before answering.

"So what you're saying is that there is evidence to these fairytales you're talking about," she said, still on the defensive. I looked at her for a second before sighing. I reached down, picking up my school bag that lay on the floor besides the bed. It had been put there earlier today when I was brought here after I passed out, and now I searched for the item I had put inside it this morning before leaving, a gut feeling that now proved legitimate. I opened it, putting one arm in all the way to the bottom, searching until my fingers brushed against soft velvet. I pulled it out and held it in my hands. The box was rectangular, about the size of my palm. I exhaled heavily, before holding it out to Rosalie. She arched one eyebrow, unsure, as she took it from me. I looked away from her as I spoke, at the box itself.

"I've had this for a little while. I was told to give it to you when the time was right. I guess now is as good a time as any," I said. She pulled up on the lid and the hinge opened, revealing what was inside. She gasped, as I expected she would.

The necklace was gold, an antique, a simple circular shape. The front showed an embellished pink rose, with two sets of pale green leaves sticking out its sides. Rosalie stared at it, but I could tell her mind was far away. She could feel it, and she knew I knew it. She could feel the void that had never been noticeable before, small, almost insignificant gaps in her human memory.

"This…" she began, "how did you get this?" I smiled, not answering. I shrugged after a moment.

"It's your choice on whether to believe me, Rosalie. But that should be enough to at least have you reconsider. The person who gave it to you meant a lot to you."

Rosalie looked up, and I saw a hint of tearful eyes in her expression.

"Who?" she implored, but I felt a wave of exhaustion flood me. The conversation, tense and emotional as it was, had tired me out. I leaned back into the headboard, my eyes slipping shut.

"Think about it, Rosalie. Your human life was never normal. That is because of your heritage, where your family came from. You're the last person of your human family. You and all your ancestors were protected from the vampire world, for generations upon generations. And there's only one reason for that."  
"Because the Sanralae…" she murmured, her lips barely moving, her mind fuzzy with shock and disbelief.

"Yes. You are the last living descendant, the only descendant, of the female Sanralae's human family." I stated and, though she was staring at me with a new level of understanding, I knew there was still a part of her that did not, would not, believe me. I couldn't do anything about that now; I was too weak. I slumped in my position, my vision blurring. Small rustling outside brought my vision forward for a moment and I looked out the window to the balcony where a black eagle sat perched on the railing. I sighed, slightly annoyed, as the eagle's eyes and mine met for a moment. My eyes finally fell shut from exhaustion as the bird's wings unfolded and he launched himself into the black sky.

 **Hey everyone! Sorry this is short but I was busy today and didn't get to finish as big a chapter as I wanted but I didn't want to leave you hanging long. I also had trouble with how I wanted this to go. But I have parts of the next chapter done so it should be up soon, perhaps tomorrow.**

 **BTW, sorry for not outlining this in advance:**

 **Vercrian — pronounced "Ver (as in 'very')-kri-in"**

 **Sanralae — pronounce "San (as in 'San Diego')-rail (as in 'railroad')-a (as in 'aye')**

 **Sorry for it being so late.**

 **Also, there's a picture of the front of the necklace on my profile (except it's in the shape of a heart rather than a circle, as in the story) and there's a picture of the eagle.**

 **Anyway, Love you guys! Please review!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	8. Truth

Chapter 8: Truth

I had to keep myself from moaning when I regained consciousness. My muscles and head ached; I was weaker than when I had fallen asleep. But even in my state, I could sense the people still around me, not moving from their position since I passed out. However, I felt a presence not far on the bed from me and, as my ears registered the voices, I found myself in the middle of a conversation.

"What is it, Rose?" I heard Esme ask. Rosalie didn't respond. I imagined her stroking the box where the necklace was kept, her eyes far away.

"It's a necklace that I was given in my human life. I never remembered who gave it to me. I just remember always wearing it," she said. "I was wearing it that night. I remember the chain being snapped from my neck. I didn't have it when I woke up after my transformation, so I assumed it was long gone…I never imagined to find it again."

"What is it though?" Alice asked, her voice distant, wondering.

"It was very special to me as a human. I remember that much, but I don't remember why. It was also…mysterious, I think. I remember I was told something about it that always made me wonder." Rosalie said.

"Do you think Bella's telling the truth? That she's right and the Sanralae is your ancestor? That they were the reason behind everything that happened?" Jasper asked. I felt Rosalie shrug.

"I don't want to believe it. It goes against everything I believe in. But,…there's no way she could have gotten a hold of this necklace. And there's no way she could reproduced it."

"How do you know she didn't get a replica of it?" Jasper was skeptical.

"How would she know what it looked like? Besides, it's custom made. There was only ever one in the world, specifically made for me. And it was monogrammed," Rosalie argued.

I heard a slight _clink_ as she flipped the pendant over, showing the cursive "R" inscribed on the back.

'Then how did she get it? Further, how is she involved in this?" Jasper asked. I felt seven pairs of eyes on me, but I masked my consciousness precisely.

"That I don't know," Rosalie murmured.

I allowed my body to shift, as if I was waking up from a stupor. My eyes opened slightly and I took in their gazes on me, their expression still full of confusion and fear. Jasper spoke first, and I could sense the suspicious edge.

"You need to explain to us," he said, more of a command than a request. I stretched slightly while I shifted.

"I don't _have_ to do anything," I replied. His eyes hardened while the rest of the Cullens' eyes raised. They were surprised by my attitude but mostly just wanted answers, but also scared of what they might be. I focused on the latter feelings.

"Are you saying we don't deserve answers?" Jasper asked, voice venomous. Alice touched his shoulder slightly to calm him but he ignored her, his eyes on me. I kept my gaze level.

"Yes, you deserve answers. But I don't believe you really want them, in the end," I told them. They looked between each other before answering.

"We do want them, Bella. No matter how bad they are," Alice said. Her eyes were wide with worry, for both me and her family. I smiled sadly.

"Isn't bad enough that you know I've lied? Do you really want to know how badly I have deceived you? It will only result in more heartache for all of us," I said. They all paused at my question but their resolve was stronger.

"We want to know. We love you, no matter what," Esme said. I looked away, unable to look into the eyes of the woman who loved me so. I mulled it over, realizing that since I had started telling the truth to Rosalie, I needed to continue. For her sake. For their sake. I took a deep breath, exhaling heavily before speaking.

"The legends are real. Take them as fact. Regardless of your feelings, they are true," I began. I could tell they were still struggling with this concept but they didn't answer, waiting for me to continue. "As I mentioned before, there are gaps in the stories, pieces revoked for the sole purpose of protecting those involved. Rosalie's past and heritage was covered for her protection. Thus, as with all storytelling, there is always another side of the story. And because of that, there is another side of me, another side of everything...I lie and have lied to protect those I love. And now, I do not think I could bear for you to see the truth…"

My voice was unsteady and I took a deep breath before admitting my next lie.

"Isabella Swan never existed. She was merely invented into the minds of everyone in Forks. Charles Swan and Renee Dwyer never had a child. Her past was conjured up solely so I could come here and enter Forks without extra questions about my past. It should have been enough to keep my cover; my relationship with all of you caused more damage than I could have imagined and it's because of that that those people died on the reservation. Why the Vercrian came here. And why you are all now in danger."

"What are you talking about? What danger?" Emmett asked; he was bracing for a fight.

"It's not a fight you can win, Emmett," I told him, "No vampire on earth can."

"If Isabella Swan never existed, then _who_ are you?" Edward asked. It was the first time he had ever spoken up during this Q &A session. I met his eyes; I saw betrayal, fear, confusion, all expected. But, above all, I saw love. That emotion threw me off guard; he loved me even when he knew I've been lying to him this whole time. I averted my eyes, unable to take that expression in his eyes. I felt my eyes begin to burn as I was about to admit the biggest deception I made.

"I think you may mean ' _what_ am I?' as well as ' _who_ am I?'. I can guess your minds are brimming with questions: What is really going on? Who were the creatures that attacked us? How am I able to do what I have done in the past few hours?" I looked up at them, my eyes drying as I looked up. If I was going to tell them, I would watch their reactions head on, no more avoiding.

"Both questions, 'what am I?' and 'who am I?', are difficult ones to respond; even I don't really know how to answer them. But I can answer both of them simultaneously, and this you will understand…" I murmured. They waited as I gauged their reactions. I steeled myself.

"What am I? I am not human. But I am not a vampire. I am both. And neither. Who am I? Well, you will know me as my unofficial title, the Heir of the Sanralae."

 **Hey guys! :D**

 **What you think? This is the chapter you've been waiting for! Again, I'm sorry it's short agian, but I'd rather post more chapters more frequently with the layout I want rather than fewer shorter chapters with no big cliffhangers for us to hang onto.**

 **On another note, I have decided to include Shoutouts, as I did in Miracle of Love. Those returning will understand it. But I have included descriptions below each ;)**

 **Shoutouts** **: YaleAceBella12*, RDoster2012, natjen2526**

 **Shoutouts are for people who have posted a single or haphazard comments; I enjoy these people's comments when they come but they are not as frequent as those in the categories below.**

 **VIP:** **sujari6*, BridieM**

 **The VIP's are those who comment each update, always with a unique, personal message that I love to read. These reasons gave me the desire to put them in their own category.**

 **MVP** **: kgarrison3**

 **MVP's are VIP's that have favorited/followed me and/or this story. If you are an VIP and have favorite me and/or this story and I did not add you, PM me and I will check again.**

 **This is only for** **Neverland** **though, there are separate VIP's and MVP's for my other stories.**

 ******* **IMPORTANTE** **: Also, there are a few people who have favorited my story (veterans of my other stories, like** **Miracle of Love** **) but haven't commented yet. There are also people who have commented but have not favorited/followed me or the story. In the latter case, I have no idea how you guys are able to tell when I update but more power to you! My veterans are making me sad though :( I miss all you guys! :'(**

 **For my veterans, please follow/favorite/review (whichever applies to you) and you will be added to the VIP/MVP lists again as in** **Miracle of Love** **!**

 **I will update these categories as needed. Shoutouts will still be with every update!**

 **Please review guys! Love you all!**

 **~Melinda :) 3**


	9. Family

Chapter 9: Family

* * *

Apparently, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. I saw them all react. Emmett's and Jasper's mouth were agape, Esme likewise but covering her mouth with her hand in shock. Carlisle stared at me, having no outward reaction but I could sense his internal overwhelming desire to collapse. Alice was seated, but her body went slack, falling into Jasper's side. Edward was staring too, but his eyes were working hard to be unemotional. I could see brimming emotions but I couldn't bear to look hard enough to distinguish them. Rosalie didn't make as big of a reaction; she stayed still, her eyes still on me but not staring in shock, but rather in acceptance. I met her gaze.

"You suspected?" I asked. She shrugged again.

"I suspected something, but not that in particular. I guessed the very general basis, but nothing more," she replied, her eyes falling to the necklace box. I nodded, following her gaze. I absentmindedly rubbed my chest, clearing my throat as I felt a slight burn. The vampires followed my action, their golden eyes curious.

"Are you ok?" Alice asked, hesitant. I coughed a laugh humorlessly.

"No," I said with a sigh, "I haven't been for a while." I looked up, meeting their confused gazes and couldn't help a sad smile.

"I'm very weak. Too much time has passed, and my body is reacting as such," I told them. Cryptic as it was, they nodded. I pulled the comforter over me, my eyes closing shut as they burned and watered against the lamp in the room.

"Why here, of all places? Why us?" Alice asked. I kept my eyes closed as I responded.

"I told you already. Rosalie. The human descendant," I said.

"But I'm not human," Rosalie said quietly. I smiled.

"Your connection to the Sanralae is because of your human ancestors. You are only related to the Sanralae through half by blood relation, no more, no less. But it is enough that you were protected all your life, whether human or vampire," I murmured, my eyes opening slightly and turning toward the glass window to my right. My gaze dropped to the black eagle that perched on a high branch. The Cullens followed my gaze and watched as the eagle shifted quietly, a man in his early thirties with sleek silver hair and yellow eyes materializing. He nodded to Rosalie and then to me, which I returned slightly before my eyes closed again, sighing heavily.

"Cylis was assigned to you by the female Sanralae when you were born, to watch you, guard you. He never left your side since then," I said. I sensed Rosalie meet Cylis' eyes and he nodded again, a slight smile on his lips. It took her a minute to speak.

"Then…we're related?," Rosalie asked, looking at me. I opened my eyes to answer her, groaning silently from the strength it took. But I couldn't help the small smile.

"Yes. Genetically, we're distant cousins. Your VERY VERY great-grandmother, and my aunt, was named Gauli, who was the sister of the female Sanralae." I paused. "My mother."

"My mother looked out for her sister's descendants; that part of the legend is true also. She made a point to interact with her line at least once every few decades, though it was difficult to keep the Vercrian from discovering her location and theirs. It was different in your case."

"What do you mean?" Rosalie demanded.

"She delivered you. She was the first to hold you. She watched you grow up; she guided you and loved you. And you loved her in return, even after you found out about her vampirism. You loved her more than your own mother, and she adored you as a daughter. She told you all the stories of your past and hers, of the vampires and of the abilities, and of the Vercrian, once you were older. However, those stories, and many of your memories, were erased on the night you were raped. When those men left you for dead, she came and worked to help you; she was the one to call Carlisle to you, to turn you into a vampire, while taking the pendant with her. This night is why I am in Forks. Upon my arrival, I was supposed to make contact with you and give you the pendant and your back. I wasn't planning on finding a mate in Edward, though," I murmured. I saw Rosalie's eyes narrow and begin to burn.

"She's the reason I'm a vampire? The reason I'm in this hell?" she hissed, angered. I took her anger in stride.

"She's also the reason you're alive, Rosalie," I replied firmly, my eyes narrowing, "What they did to you was far worse than rape. She helped with your injuries, but she couldn't completely cure you. She knew Carlisle, Esme, and Edward lived in Rochester and called Carlisle to turn you. It was the only way to save your life. She loved you too much to let you die. But she also felt guilt and blamed herself for what happened to you, knowing her contact with you triggered the attack. She knew transforming you would not fully protect you against the Vercrian, should they find you again. But you would be able to defend yourself against humans and vampires with the same goal. She hoped to reconnect one day, when you were older and when it was a safer time for both of you."

"She _should_ blame herself! She took everything from me! My humanity! I could have gotten married and had a child without her messing in my life! She killed me by not staying away," Rosalie snarled harshly. I opened my eyes.

"If you had survived, you would have married Royce and had his baby?" I laughed sarcastically. She snarled at me, enraged.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" she growled, her eyes going black.

"Then watch what you say about my mother, Rosalie," I snapped back. My eyes bored into her as my own anger poured over, despite my weakened state. My eyes flashed and, for a moment, my vision was tinged red. She backed down, wary of my expression but still enraged. I inhaled and exhaling slowly as I calmed myself before responding to her again.

"Rosalie, think about it. She was a vampire too, just as sterile as you are. You were partially right about what you said earlier. Part of being a vampire is being sterile. And, thus, two vampires cannot reproduce. You've known this since you were changed. The loss of your sterility had and does have a strong influence on you. It caused you to despise me, my choices as you saw them. You saw me as human, able to bear children. You, like many females—human or vampire—, would jump at any opportunity to fill that void in their lives. Especially depending on the age and maturity they were at their change. Esme, for example, after losing her newborn child right before her change and then becoming your mother, in every way that mattered. The Sanralae did the same. Tell me, Rosalie, if I had been younger when you met me, would you have hated me as much? If I was two or even six? I doubt it, because your natural maternal instinct—as well as your passionate desire for a child—would override that because you would see a child to care for and protect. But that's not what happened, and thus, you hated me for my desire to become a vampire; in your mind, throwing away all that mattered."

She didn't respond. Because she knew I was right; she would have done exactly the same thing if she had been in the Sanralae's place.

"She didn't love me as a daughter. There was no way she could. She had you," Rosalie murmured, and I could hear the slight hurt underneath her words as she said them. I couldn't be mad at her anymore and I worked to assure her of how wrong she was.

"I'm not as old as you think I am, believe me," I said. "The reason I came here and why I was supposed to give you back your memories was because she loved you so much. She wanted us to protect each other, to survive...even if she didn't." I could help my voice cracking slightly as I said that last part. Rosalie met my gaze at the sound, her eyes confused and emotional.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"She left me here because she had to go, and feared for my safety if I went with her. She hoped that hiding me here, with the only other person on Earth that really knew anything about the truth behind the legends. She left me here because…if she died, she would feel safest leaving me with you."

Rosalie didn't know what to say to that. Her mind was clogged with two many emotions that I didn't have a hope to identify. I slumped in my position, my vision blurring. My breathing came faster, more ragged.

"Bella, are you ok?" I heard Esme asked, concerned. A millisecond later, I felt her hand on my forehead. I shivered underneath her touch while I shook my head. My abdomen exploded with pain and I curled in on myself as I fell into the mattress.

"My name's…not Bella," I said, panting as I fought for consciousness; I felt I needed to tell them this. I felt Carlisle and Esme over me with Rosalie close, watching but not interfering, though I could a new concern there. I fought for one last sentence.

"Cylis…get Davian…to get…please," I instructed. My mind went black right afterwards, but I felt he heard me.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long! Last Friday was my birthday and I've been super busy ever since! Here's the next chapter!**

 **Cylis = "Sy-ee-liss"**

 **Davian = "Dee-ee-von"**

 **Shoutouts** **: heartstrings13, teamwolfaltw, KAT-TWILIGHT75**

 **VIP:** **sujari6*, BridieM**

 **MVP** **: kgarrison3**

 **Love you all! Please review! And you might see your name up above! :)**

 **~Melinda :)**


	10. Telepathy

Chapter 10: Telepathy

* * *

I let out a whimper in pain as I awoke. The pain was everywhere: my eyes, my stomach, my chest, my head. I felt others around me and the thin tubing under my nose, supplying my lungs with oxygen. I opened my eyes slightly and saw the Cullens around me, their eyes worried. Carlisle was the closest.

"You couldn't breathe. I needed to give you some air," he explained warily, relaxing slightly when I blinked and curved my mouth slightly in acceptance. Now that he knew I was not human, he was unsure on how to treat me. Cylis was in the room, and something in my eyes when they met his gave him my message.

"I understand I broke protocol, but I could not stand there and do nothing, Reala. No again," he defended himself, his eyes pleading. I blinked at him, letting him it was okay. He nodded, hesitating before continuing.

"Ralae is on her way," he told me. I blinked again, my eyes falling to the mattress again. My heart swelled at the thought, but I fought it back. I looked up and met Rosalie's eyes.

 _Rosalie_.

It was only her name, but it was enough. She froze as she heard me call her name. But my mouth hadn't moved. Her name echoed in her own mind and she stared open mouthed.

"Wha…" she trailed off, and I smiled ever so slightly, though even that movement hurt.

 _Telepathy is my specialty. It is apart of me_. I told her; she continually stared as the Cullens watched her nervously, Edward the most so.

 _She loved you, Rosalie. More than you can imagine. You have no idea how much what happened hurt her._ My words enticed her, and she moved closer. Gently, I allowed my mind to meld with hers, and she felt the love my mother had for her, and how it was because of that love that she did what she had to save her human daughter, and that she left her own daughter in her care should she died. The small, instinctual feeling of emotion toward me she had felt yesterday sparked and grew, flowering into new feelings and relationships.

"What's wrong?" She whispered to me, her golden eyes full of fear, of confusion, but also of new emotions: love, and protection. I felt the protective edge in her voice as she finally understood the roles we held between each other.

 _I am weak. I am dying_. I told her.

"What do you need? Human food? Blood?" she murmured urgently. She nor I understood how she knew these options in my diet but neither of us questioned it.

 _You have seen me eat human food_. I reminded her.

"We can get you blood," she promised me, but I stopped her short.

 _No. I cannot drink the blood you will give me._

"What do you mean?" she asked, taken aback. Meanwhile, the Cullens and Cylis watched thunderstruck, completely out of the loop. I looked slightly toward Cylis and he stepped in.

"The Sanralae feed off humans, but they do not kill their prey. On the contrary, the feeding can be quite pleasant for the victim. But she is not at her full strength, so she would not have the capability of hunting on her own. Your kind,"—he made a point toward the Cullens—"rely on the biological components in the blood. However, the Sanralae survive of of this and also of the human essence within the blood itself, the living aura, you may call it. It is part of what makes them so powerful compared to modern vampires. Killing a person eliminates that aura, because the life, the soul, is gone. However, she can also feed off of vampires as easily as humans." Rosalie turned back to me, but I cut her off mentally before she could suggest what I knew she would.

 _I cannot feed from any of you._ I told her firmly, or as firmly as I could in my deathly state.

"Why not?" she demanded, annoyed, "You know any one of us would gladly volunteer if it will help you." The Cullens, though only hearing half the conversation, nodded their agreement. I sighed slightly.

 _I know. And if it was any one but you all, then I would take you up on it. But I am allergic to animal blood._ That stopped her dead.

"What?" Esme asked, worried. Rosalie relayed what I said to them and they were surprised.

"Then what can we do?" Rosalie asked me.

 _Nothing. Wait._

"For what?" I smiled tiredly, my eyes flicking to Cylis again.

 _Ralae_. She blinked, confused. _My mother._ Her eyes widened.

"Sh-She's coming here?" Rosalie stuttered, a first for her. I blinked.

"Who's coming?" Jasper and Emmett asked simultaneously, exasperated by being left out of the conversation. Rosalie turned toward them.

"Her mother. The Sanralae," she said. They all took a minute to take that in. I let them, watching as they absorbed that one of the most powerful, and oldest, vampires to walk the Earth was on her way to Forks.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Short and sweet! Next one should be up soon!**

 **Shoutouts** **: heartstrings13, teamwolfaltw, KAT-TWILIGHT75**

 **VIP:** **sujari6*, BridieM**

 **MVP** **: kgarrison3**

 **Love you guys! Please favorite/follow and review!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	11. Secret

Chapter 11: Secret

* * *

I got worse as time went by. I couldn't hold myself up right and had to lie down. The cannula controlled my breathing to an extent, but there was nothing to be done about my other symptoms: the heartache, the light burning my eyes, the cramping in my abdomen. I was soon curled up in a fetal position, my body shaking with chills and moaning quietly from pain. Rosalie stayed close besides me, though not touching me with her freezing skin. Carlisle was the next closest, though far away as the other Cullens. None of them really knew what to do; they continued to watch me struggle, questions continuing to bubble in their minds. That gave me an idea.

 _I can answer some of your questions. It will distract me_. I told Rosalie. She nodded after a moment, unsure. I relaxed, allowing the thoughts to overcome me momentarily before answering.

 _The Vercrian are a third breed of vampires, though I compare them more to monsters of hell._ Rosalie relays what I say. They are interested in learning more about them, Jasper and Emmett especially.

"Why?" Jasper asked. I raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief.

"I know why, but why are they like that?" he revised. Knowing his talent, I knew he could feel the emotions of the Vercrian they met, or the lack thereof. The loss of emotions, of positive ones anyway,….

 _The Vercrian can only be created by a truly evil and selfish act. Once they are transformed or 'awakened', as they call it, they lose all positive emotions. They feel nothing but malice and nefarious power. They get off on killing, on torturing. That is why their acts are so gruesome; the more macabre they are, the more powerful they become._

Again, Rosalie relayed my words. The Cullens were disturbed by what I described, not imagining such a creature. But, they also saw what it had done to those people, and to Claire.

"Why are you like this? You said 'too much time had passed' and you were dying…." Alice murmured. I couldn't look at them in the eyes when I answered.

 _I survive off of both human food and blood, just as the other Sanralae. However, I have not fed in a very long time, which is making me weak, just as with you when you do not feed._

"How often do you feed?" Carlisle asked, intrigued.

 _I need to drink at least every two or three days; when I was younger, my mother would always have blood on hand because I needed it all the time_.

"When was the last time you fed? How long?" he pressed. I didn't answer at first.

 _The last time I fed was the day before Edward took me to the meadow_.

No one knew how to respond to that, shocked and horrorstruck at the amount of time it was. Edward was staring and I met his eyes for a short moment, but he averted his eyes immediately.

"How are you alive?" Esme gasped.

 _I told you I am neither vampire or human. This is why I have survived. But I can only go for so long. And my current state is the result of starving myself. I can promise you it wasn't intentional, at least in the beginning. I kind of just, forgot, which sound ludicrous. But I was okay on just human food. Plus, I was supposed to act and look as human as possible, so I did. But after last September…well, it went very far down hill then. And by the time you came back, I was in too deep to get out and was too weak to hunt for myself._

They were shocked, and guilty, because their leaving did not help my eating habits. They took it in for a moment before asking another question.

"Why can't you drink from us?" Alice asked.

 _I am allergic to animal blood, just as humans can be allergic to peanuts or gluten. Because you drink from animals, if I were to to drink from you, your veins would be tainted with animal blood, which provides no nourishment for me. It would similar to you drinking artificial blood from the Halloween store. If you hunted humans, I could get slight relief because there would be human blood in your veins._

They nodded at my response, slightly less confused. Then they asked the one question I did not want to answer.

"You said you were neither human or vampire, but you also said you're both. How is that possible?" Carlisle asked. I sighed heavily, debating on answering.

 _I do not want to give you that answer. You will not like the truth_.

"What do you mean?" Esme asked. I met her gazes painfully.

 _The truth will hurt you more, and I don't want to do that._

They pushed. "Please. We want to know," they pleaded, relentlessly. Finally, I conceded. Taking a shuddering breath, I answered slowly, begrudgingly.

 _I am the offspring of the two most powerful vampires on the planet. But I have told you that I am both and neither vampire and human. This makes you wonder because two vampires naturally should produce one vampire offspring, potentially even more vampiric than its parents. However, you also know that vampires are sterile. This is only partially true. Yes, two vampires cannot have children. However, only female vampires are truly sterile. Because the female body must change drastically to accommodate a child, female vampires cannot bear children. However, male humans remain biologically the same from puberty until death. Thus, male vampires that have experienced puberty are capable of producing viable sperm._

I gave them a minute to process this; they were shocked, once again, rocked to the core as what they considered fact was bent and crushed before them. I continued after a moment.

 _But even still, my mother is sterile as a vampire. So one wonders how she and my father were able to reproduce…_ I stopped short. They watched me closely, awaiting my answer.

"Tell us," Rosalie pressed. I sighed, my breath shaky.

 _My parents were able to reproduce because my mother was able to become human again_.

None of them moved, and I watched their reactions, Esme's and Rosalie's especially. Esme was shocked, and hopeful. Rosalie's eyes, though, were hard, stone-like, as she realized the important secret I had been keeping from her.

 _Let me assure you though. It wouldn't have made a difference, Rosalie, Esme. None at all._

"What do you mean, it wouldn't have made a difference?!" Rosalie hissed. She was angry, enraged this had been kept from her, a supposed way out of her vampirism.

 _There is no way for you to reverse your transformations. If there was, I would have told you._

"You just said your mother was able to turn herself human again!" Rosalie snarled, her black eyes on me. I could feel the rage and worked to calm the situation through my words and thoughts.

 _Rosalie, the whole reason I came here was for you. If I or my mother knew of a way to turn you human again, we would have told you. She knows that you want that more than anything else, Rose. You know that. But there isn't. And I didn't want to get your hopes up when I knew it was hopeless. Remember, Rosalie,_ _remember_ _that my mother is not the same vampire as you and Esme._

Rosalie stopped growling, but she was not happy, though she was more crestfallen than anything. She relayed what I said. I saw Esme's shoulders slump slightly and I fought tears at getting their hopes up to crush them. No one spoke for a long time. Finally, Alice asked,

"What is your name, if you said it's not Bella?" I took a deep breath, more willing to answer this question than the previous one.

 _My name is not Bella in that my name is not Isabella. My name comes from the language and culture of my parents, which is centuries upon centuries old._ I paused.

 _My real name is Ila. It is derived from an old legend of our culture where two beings in another realm performed a ritual in order for all women of the world to bear children. The offspring of that ritual was named Ila. In other, younger religious texts, the name is associated with an androgyne, which is fitting because I am neither human nor vampire, but both. My nickname is Bela; it means princess. Combining Ila and Bela sounded like the American Isabella, so it worked. But I couldn't be called by my real name; it is too symbolic of who I am. But Bela, americanized to Bella, would work because I could respond to it without it giving anything away._

The Cullens took this in slowly. But they weren't given much time to react when they froze slightly, listening to something far away, and Cylis stepped forward, who had previously stayed in the background during the discussion.

"Reala, a car has turned into the driveway."

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Again, I know it's short but her mother** **will** **be in the next chapter!**

 **Shoutouts** **: heartstrings13**

 **VIP:** **sujari6, BridieM, KAT-TWILIGHT75**

 **MVP** **: kgarrison3, teamwolfaltw**

 **To** **kgarrison3** **: I gave a little more detail in regard to your comment about drinking from the Cullens. Hope that helps!**

 **BTW, if any one has question on something that was discussed (NOT stuff yet to be revealed) but the stuff I have introduced and explained, feel free to DM or mention it in a review and I will answer you!**

 **Also,** **to everyone who is mad at Edward** **, I'm keeping him at bay deliberately. It's all leading up to a chapter ;) Just be patient :P**

 **Word Phonetics:**

 ***Reala = "Ray-la" (word to describe Ila/Bela in terms of respect; such as saying "Your Highness")**

 ***Ralae = "Ra-Lay" (** **word to describe the female Sanralae in terms of respect; such as saying "Your Majesty")**

 ***The male Sanralae has one as well, which will be revealed din due time. They all have individual names since there's only three of them.**

 **Ila = "EE-la"**

 **Bela = "Bey-a"**

 **LOVE YOU GUYS! You have no idea how much I love how much you like this story!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	12. Mother

Chapter 12: Mother

* * *

The Cullens were nervous; I admit I was too. But more excited, and hopeful. I stayed in my position, working on my reducing the mental focus I had on my symptoms. No one moved as the Cullens listened to the car silently move along the drive and stop smoothly in front of the front door. A car door closed firmly but not loudly enough for it be called a slam. There were footsteps on the stairs. Everyone but me seemed frozen in anticipation.

Then she was there.

She looked no different than the last time I saw her, not that I expected her to. Her hair, long and golden blonde, hung loose over her shoulders, straight and soft as silk. Her body seemed relaxed but I could tell she was alert, just as she always was; her muscles—which were hardened, but not unattractively so—were visible in her arms and midriff underneath her close-fitting tank top, hinting at just a mere fraction of the strength she possessed. Her legs were long and as just strong, covered by black skinny jeans and fashionable knee high boots that clinged to her body. Little people knew this about her, but her legs were actually more dangerous than her hands, though that not at all meant her hands weren't lethal. Her attire was in her favorite color, black. Her tattooed right hand was placed ever so slightly on her belt, where I could see a hidden blade underneath the dark fabric of her jeans.

Her eyes were as blue as deep sapphires, the hue bearing her namesake: Nila. Now those eyes, as bright and emotionally colorful as brand new stones borne from a volcano's fissure, so full of life and love, met mine.

"Ama," I forced between my lips, a soft whimper. _Mother_ , I had said. She was besides me within the moment. She, like all vampires, was naturally fast. But her speed was more flowing and gentle than the comparatively haphazard movement of the Cullens or other modern vampires, a butterfly's flight compared to that of a yellow jacket. The Cullens did not move from their positions, Rosalie in particular, staring wide-eyed from the very edge of the bed. My mother sat down next me, her hand going to my cheek. I forced my hand to move, falling over hers, nuzzling into her warmth. I felt the tears fight to fall, and I let them, finally feeling safe for the first time in over a year.

"Ila," she murmured to me.

" _It hurts_." I whimpered. The language we spoke was not English. It was the language of our culture, of the many generations past. It, like our human tribe, died with history, and now only my family could understand and speak it.

" _I know_ ," she said, her hand running across my cheek and down my side, over my abdomen. She pressed in, massaging slightly. She sighed quietly, her eyes upset, and I ducked my head in shame. I did not want to do this to her, did not want her to see me in this state, did not want to hurt her or make her upset. She caressed my cheek gently.

" _I know, darling. It will be ok,_ " she assured me. She turned toward the onlookers, to Carlisle.

"I need an IV and a winged infusion set," she requested. Carlisle paused for a moment, shocked, then nodded silently. He darted from the room, coming back a few moments later with what she wanted. She uncoiled the tubing from the IV, stretching it out. She took the butterfly needle and stuck herself, expertly puncturing a large vein in her arm at the crease in her elbow and attaching the small needle to the IV tube. The plug was shut, so none of her blood flowed out of the other end of the tube. Just as quickly as she did herself, she opened my vein and attached it to the IV. She pulled her finger back on the plug and her blood and mine joined in the tube. I felt the blood begin to enter my bloodstream and I sighed, my eyes slipping shut. My mother remained beside me, running her fingers through my hair. No one spoke. A few minutes later, I could feel the strength return to me. I exhaled out, finally feeling some physical relief, and went to pull the cannula off. My mother beat me to it, taking it off and allowing me to breathe on my own. The heartache dulled and the pain in my abdomen and head retracted.

I pushed myself upright, avoiding disrupting the IV, and sitting besides my mother. She and I met each other's eyes and I could feel further relief as the wall between us lifted and our thoughts flowed. I felt more myself than I had since she had revoked most of my supernatural abilities.

" _It's working_ ," I said. She nodded, 'mhmm'-ing and smiling slightly in response. I reached out and took her right hand that was in her lap. She let me and my fingers ran over the tattoo, over our crest and elegant designs that adored her skin. I glanced at my own hand, frowning slightly when I appraised its clean, undisturbed appearance. I lifted her hand to my cheek, pressing my face into her palm.

" _You're here. You're really here_ ," I whispered. I couldn't believe we were really together again. Underneath it, I knew it was because I partially believed I would never see her again. Tears came to my eyes and the red tinged water flowed over the old tracts from minutes before. She hushed me gently, comfortingly.

" _Yes, I'm here, Ila. I'm not going anywhere_ ," she promised. I hiccuped underneath my crying and nodded. Instinctually, I curled into her embrace and her arms curved around me comfortably, familiarly. I snuggled into her, taking in her scent, enjoying the reunion. A minute later, she flicked the switch on the plug, cutting off her blood flow. She pulled the needle out of her arm, biting the tip of her tongue and allowing a drop of blood to fall on the small injection site. It healed instantly. She offered me the small amount of blood that was left in tubing and I took it, putting the tube between my lips and sucking in. I finished it quickly and put it aside with the needle to be destroyed. I settled back into my mother's embrace and she held me close. My eyes drooped from the surge of blood, but my stomach ached in protest. I looked up at my mother.

" _I know. But you need to rest first. You're not strong enough to drink on your own yet._ " She instructed. I nodded submissively, allowing my eyes to close. My mind drifted. But before slowly falling into content unconsciousness, I heard my mother's voice:

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

* * *

 **Hey guys! Here's another chapter for you! :)**

 **Nila = "Ny-La"**

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 **MVP** **: kgarrison3, teamwolfaltw**

 **People are moving up the ranks but right now it seems only you guys are actually paying attention :/ You guys are great though! I love you guys!**

 **I love reviews! Update should be soon!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	13. Aunt

Chapter 13: Aunt

* * *

Rosalie was shocked at my question, her eyes wide as I appraised her, waiting for a response.

"What do you mean?" she asked, unsure. I sighed, shaking my head as I looked down where my daughter slept in my lap.

"I can't say I didn't think this was a possibility, but I had hoped that the better side of you would overpower your selfish side," I said. Rosalie's eyes flicked, a hint of anger flashing there.

"What are you implying?" She asked, changing her voice to sound menacing and I had to hold back my laugh, as unamusing the situation was. I met her gaze head on, undisturbed by her attitude.

"I taught you to be a lot more courteous and aware of other people's feelings. But your actions and feelings toward her were nothing short of self-interested and self-absorbed, thinking only about yourself." I shook my head again. "Your father ruined you."

She was affronted.

"How dare you…" she began but I cut her off smoothly.

"How dare you, Rosalie. To blindly hate without any reason, to despise another person because you believed she had something you didn't. To fault her because she had what you wanted. I taught you better than that; you are a better person than that. But your past has gotten the better of you, and I'm disappointed; I thought you were stronger than that."

"My past, which is your fault!" she exclaimed, on her feet, fuming. I watched her reaction calmly, refusing to engage while she had a tantrum. I couldn't help but still see the little girl and teenage woman that I love that now stood before me, forever changed by the events that occurred at the end of her human life. And I ached slightly at what she had to go through, my second daughter in every sense of the word that mattered.

"I will not defend myself against that. I know my own actions and their consequences. But that does make your actions any less unreasonable, Rosalie. It just makes you stronger when you overcome them, which I expected you to do. But you decided to act petty instead." I said. She was offended, she had been since I had spoken, but she also held the mentality a young child does when it is being chided by a parent, which is basically the case. I sighed again, changing my tone, softening it.

"I take responsibility for what happened that night with Royce. Nothing that happened that night was your fault, Rosa. But I did what I had to do to right my failure to protect you, and I did what I needed to save your life. It was for your own good, whether you ever see that is not my concern. But if you wish to be angry at someone for your change and the loss of the future you had hoped for, you can blame me. But do not take it out on my daughter." My voice hardened at the end, my eyes narrowing. She backed down; she seemed surprised that I did not deny her claims about my hand in her rape and transformation, and did not have anything to defend against because of my answer. She sat again, still on the bed, but as far from me as possible, appraising me and Ila. Her eyes casted down, touching the small jewelry box I had kept the locket in.

"You kept it," she murmured.

"Yes. I am the one who gave it to you, after all," I replied. She looked up, her eyes surprised. I knew she had no memory of me giving it to her, but I would soon right that.

"Do you remember what I told you about it?" I asked, curious. She thought for a while. I could see from her and Ila that she had thought long before hand and could not remember. However, my presence had sparked something, because realization came to her features.

"It's a locket. You told me it could only be opened by magic," she said. I smiled, amused.

"You were only six when I gave it to you. But even when you were older, you came no closer to figuring it out," I told her. She looked down at the locket again, and her face change into the same curiousness I had seen many times before.

"Go ahead. Open it," I encouraged. She obeyed, after a moment, delicately pulling the locket from its place. She held it closer to her face, seeing the every so small divot in the otherwise seamless silver. She took her fingernail and pushed it between the two cracks. The locket opened instantly and I smiled softly. The locket's compartment was specifically designed to have an near invisible opening and the mechanism was durable enough that only one with superhuman strength could open it. Since she was human, only I could open it, and, thus, she believed it to be magic since she never saw the inside of it. But she now could. Slowly, even for a human, Rosalie pulled the hinged sides of the heart apart, seeing the inside for the first time. On the right side were two small compartments with glass sides, where a few drops of liquid in each space slide back and forth in their containers in time with Rosalie's movement. My venom, and my mate's. On the left hand side was an inscription, written in English, the only language she had known at the time. In elegant cursive were the words _"Remember who you are._ " Rosalie rubbed her thumb over the words, her breathing suddenly unsteady. I watched her closely as I saw the memories begin to clear.

"You told me that all the time," she murmured, looking at me. I nodded, smiling slightly.

"It is a phrase I tell a lot of people, including myself. It is something you need to keep hearing. And if you hear it often enough, it stays with you. Forever." I said.

"What did you mean by it?" Alice asked suddenly. I met her gaze, my eyes clear, kind.

"It can mean different things to different people, which is the beauty of it. In Rosa's case, it was in regard to the societal expectations of the Roaring Twenties that forced her into a mentality that I often disregarded, but also in terms of who she was in terms of the vampire world. Though no one knows about my human lineage, she would be next in line if something were to happen to me and my family. That responsibility is way too much for someone so young. I always reminded you that, even though the legends detailed what was expected of me, the Sanralae, and by extension, you, it did not mean that we are required to live up to those stories." I looked down at Ila, sleeping peacefully.

"You weren't the only one I said that phrase to," I murmured. I was quiet for a moment before continuing.

"It applies to me in many of the same ways. I have never abided by social expectations. They change with the times, just as fashion and, eventually, language. I refuse to act how society thinks I should, both as a woman and as young and supposedly at least partially ignorant. But also in regard to what I am; the stereotypes put in place in the past few millennia…" I shook my head, incredulous. "You did not fear me, Rosa, even when you were little. You knew I preyed on humans, that I had killed and had no intention on stopping that habit, but you understood why I did those things. And in such, you did not fear me because you saw me for who I am, not what I am." I stopped, meeting Rosalie's eyes.

"Do you remember what I used to tell you?" I asked. Her head cocked to the side sightly.

"About what?" she asked.

"About people," I said. She thought about it, and I gave her a slight mental nudge, letting it click in her head.

"'People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within'. We were walking besides a chapel when you told me that," she said. I smiled, nodding again.

"Yes, and it's a phrase that you have obviously forgotten," I commented. Her face scrunched up slightly, looking away from my penetrating gaze. Then Esme spoke up.

"You seem…very content with what you are." she commented. I met her gaze, my eyes and face amused.

"I believe the one of the greatest challenges in life is discovering who you are. One of the second greatest is being happy with what you find. I have lived long enough to know that there is nothing to be gained from self-hate. And," I added, "like Isabella Swan, I chose to become what I am, even though, at the time, I did not know what I would become." Out of habit, their eyes flickered down to the young girl in my arms, sleeping contently. No one spoke and I again reveled in the moment, the reunion. I still not had completely grasped that I was actually here, cradling my daughter in my arms. It was the first time I had held her in over a year but it felt a thousand. She moved suddenly, pressing into me further. I reacted, moving to lean perpendicular to the headboard of the bed, propped up sideways against the pillows. Ila moved with me, laying on her side parallel to my body. Snuggling into my chest, into my collarbone, she pressed into me as much as she could. My left arm draped over her, the other moving to her hair, dark brown with a tint of red, a product of my blonde hair and her father's dark hair. The texture was silky and oh so like mine. Looking down at her, even in her weakened state, I saw nothing but my daughter, my baby girl. I exhaled ever so unsteadily, overwhelmed with emotion from being reunited with her. Ila felt the change in me, and she pulled closer to me, snuggling deeper into my chest. I responded by pulling her to me securely. She turned toward me and I compensated instinctively. I place my chin on top of hers lightly, my eyes closing. I can see the Cullens watching us carefully, but I ignore them, enjoying the moment.

When I open my eyes, I meet their gazes, settling on Rosalie. She watched the exchanges between Ila and I and felt a surge of jealousy, both toward Ila for having my attention, but also toward me for being able to have a child. I sighed again; I knew this would happen, and I make to explain to her.

"I wanted to tell you about her, Rosa. I truly did. But it wasn't safe, for either of us. I couldn't bring myself to allow you into my world again, not after what happened the first time. I also couldn't risk her, her life should her existence be known." I paused for a moment before continuing cautiously. "I also knew, deep down, you would hate me. Because I did what you no longer could. But you have no idea how much I wanted you there, both during my pregnancy and when she was first born." Rosalie was floored, taken aback that I had admitted this. She knew she would have been mad, but she was having an internal conflict on whether, if I had told her and given her the option, would she have refused. She didn't know.

"She loved you, you know. She still does," I murmured. Rosalie met my gaze.

"What?" she said. I smiled sadly.

"I'm not surprised you don't remember that particular detail. Neither will she. But it will probably still upset her, when she wakes up," I mused sadly.

"What do you mean?" she demanded, confused.

"You're her godmother, Rosa."

* * *

 **Hey guys! Another chapter up, this time in another POV! Hope you enjoyed it, and more to come!**

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 **MVP** **: kgarrison3, teamwolfaltw**

 **I love you guys! And I'm so glad you like my story!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	14. Stories

Chapter 14: Stories

* * *

I don't think Rosalie could take many more surprises; although, her being a godmother shouldn't have surprised her. She asked me herself, a long time ago. She obviously didn't remember though. So I decided to tell her the story.

"She already told you that I delivered you. I was visiting your mother after not interacting with the line since before the 20th century, before the American Civil War, actually. She was already six months along when I arrived and I decided to stay. I acted as her midwife, which was fortunate since the umbilical cord got caught around your neck. I stayed away from a while, watching you from a distance. Once your brothers were born though, your mother was too focused on them, and she passed me over to you, since I was living near by, 'alone'. Our relationship blossomed from there, and it didn't take long for you to see that I was different. I finally told you when you were six, told you what I am, who I am, and the history of the Sanralae. You were entranced, to say the least, and you clung to me even more. I gave you the locket, telling you that, no matter where you went or what happened, to never forget the legacy you were a part of.

"You grew up and I stayed; I couldn't bear leaving you so young and you were so attached to me. In hindsight, it might have been better. But I made the choice to stay. However, once you got older, you were more influenced by my world rather than the human world, your world. You kept begging me to change you; but I couldn't. I haven't created a vampire since Rylin nearly destroyed all the vampires in my coven. I also didn't want to change your human life; though, again, I knew I was making an impact by just being in your life at all, but I loved you too much to let you go; call me selfish. But, ultimately, it wasn't my decision. When you turned 16, your father, who was minimally involved with you before then, wanted to marry you off, a norm for the time. I was critical of his ideas; he wanted to use you to move up the food change, use your beauty from my genes to exploit you for his own betterment. Your mother, who is my actual descendant, obviously wouldn't dispute him, and when I did, he forced you to stay away from me, fully shutting me off from you.

"You were head-strong, refusing to eat or go out, and he made you pay for it. Finally, I slipped into your room one night. I told you I was leaving, and to forget about me, to go back and listen as your father said, but not forgetting your independent nature, a trait you got from me. You were resistant; you made a final attempt for me to give you my venom and you could come with me. But I couldn't; I feared for your safety if you came with me. Even though the public vampire world does not know my whereabouts, I couldn't risk it. I took your memories; it was the only way for it not to be painful for you; it was the only way you would let me go. I left the locket with you though, to allow something of myself to be with you. I moved on. I was called back once word of Royce and his plan got to Cylis. I instructed him to watch you, while I returned to Rochester. I was too late. Cylis had been incapacitated, and you were nearly dead. I healed some of the more serious wounds, but I couldn't heal enough to save you. I knew the Cullens had moved there since I had been gone, and I summoned Carlisle to you, taking the locket and influencing him to change you. I waited in the background as you changed, then I left, leaving Cylis with you. The guilt was overpowering, especially as unhappy you were at your change. Your memories of me were buried, and I wanted very badly to give them back, since now you were a part of the vampire world eternally. But I didn't; my presence nearly got you killed once, and I wasn't about to do it again. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, but I needed to protect you, protect you from my world."

Rosalie didn't speak at first, but I could feel that she was on the verge of tears that she could not shed. She wasn't angry with me anymore, I could tell. When she spoke, it was shaky as she tried to contain her emotions.

"Why did Royce do what he did? Why attack me? What did he have against me?"

"What did Royce have against you? Nothing personally. He was merely going to use it as an opportunity to spring board to his next step," I said. She looked confused and my face twisted slightly, grim.

"You've seen what some humans will do to move up the Vercrian ranks, though they were all very low on the totem pole," I said. She stared for a moment, then realization hit, as did with the rest of the Cullens, as they remembered the humans that had tried to attack them hours earlier.

"Yes. With your murder, they surely would have been granted their transformations." I said, my voice disgusted. I looked down at Ila, my head running through her hair again.

"Before I took away your memories, you asked me that, if the prophecy were to ever come true, that if I ever found a way to bear a child, that you could be the child's godmother." I looked up at her, my eyes filled with emotion at bringing up these old memories, painful and joyful equally. "I kept my word, Rosa." There was a long silence; no one spoke. But finally, Esme asked. It was a question all of them had been wondering, but it was nagging her too much for her to suppress it even more.

"How did you do it?" She murmured. I met her gaze, and I saw the broken heart of a mother who lost her child. I bit back the true spectrum of my emotions, only allowing her to see the kindness that was there.

"I will not act as if I know how you feel; even with my abilities, I cannot fathom the pain of losing your child," I looked down at my own as I spoke "I fear that every day and yet I cannot do anything but do everything in my power to keep myself from feeling it firsthand. I understand your need; I felt the same for an immeasurable amount of time. However, I cannot help you. She has already pointed out that you and I are not the same type of vampire, and thus, the transformation reversal cannot, will not work for you. I am sorry. I wish I could help. But it is not something I can fix. Vampirism is irreversible. I have been the only exception, and only because I am not the normal vampire." Esme's eyes dulled, but she nodded. She understood, and she felt no ill will toward me; she was happy I was able to fulfill my wishes.

"How was it?" She asked, her eyes on the young girl in my arms. I smiled slightly.

"When I was transformed back, it did not take long for me to get pregnant. I was human again, and I was adjusting to being one again after so many years. My mate was adjusting as well; he hadn't had to treat me differently since before he changed me. When I found out, he was very protective, worrying for both my and the baby's sake. My pregnancy was the typical 40 week period, though she came a few days earlier. We decided to go back home for the time, to go back to where we first met. There was an island where we lived just after my transformation, completely isolated where we were free to do as we pleased. We had taken care of it over the years and we returned for the small period. I gave birth in late June, the 21st. I didn't know the exact date at the time—we were very isolated, even then—but she was born on the summer solstice, which in our culture is considered a magical time. Though her existence itself could be called as such." I paused; I had never actually relayed this story to anyone before. The people who I had interacted with since her birth had been present for most of the process. But, like my daughter, I could feel the Cullen's aura, their goodness, their trust. And, surprisingly, I trusted them, something that is very difficult for me, after so many years of broken trust. They were intrigued to hear of Ila's past, of the prophecy, and of their own history. They were fascinated by Cylis, by me, and my Ila, understandable, of course. So I continued, my eyes staying on my daughter.

"I had a hard time during my labor, but it was worth it. The company didn't make it better; my mate was worried about me the entire time. Again, it's understandable, and he's old enough to know that women's bodies are meant to undergo that level of pain. But even still, that knowledge didn't stop him. Although, looking back on it, it proves to me that if men had to give birth rather than us, the human race would have died out long ago." I laughed lightly before taking on a more serious, awed tone.

"But holding her for the first time is an experience I will never forget, regardless of my memory. She was long-awaited, and the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen on the planet. And I've seen many beautiful things. I will admit that I'm a bit biased though." I smiled at the end ruefully. I could the Cullens smile slightly to themselves.

"If you don't mind me asking….how old are you?" Emmett asked cautiously. I met his gaze, my mouth fighting a smile.

"Now, Emmett, you've been married long enough to know to not ask a woman, much less a vampire, about her age." I scolded him lightly, my smile breaking through. The Cullens took in my lighthearted attitude, still on edge because of who they were speaking to. But Emmett didn't rescind the question, and he and the rest of them waited for my answer, an answer they could innately tell I would give. I paused a moment before answering.

"I was born in roughly 10,300 B.C.E," I replied. They froze, their bodies locking in shock. They were expecting that answer and I again fought an amused smirk.

"I have been told that I look young for my age, though. I don't look a day over 7,000, right?" I teased. They drank in my attitude, relaxing under my aura. Again, no one spoke as Ila slept in my lap. She moved and twisted slightly and a quick brush of her mind showed her symptoms beginning to take over her in her sleep. I sighed, frustrated.

"Is she going to be ok?" Edward asked. I looked up at him and he looked me straight in the eye. I met his gaze, looking into the face of the main who had won my baby girl's heart. I was not ready to deal with him though, but deal with him I would. I sighed again.

"Maybe. I don't know. That's always been a struggle. Because of what she is, a vampire offspring of a vampire and a vampire-turned human, she has both vampiric and human DNA. And the dominance of one over the other is constantly changing as she grows up. The vampire DNA is dominant over human DNA, such as brown eyes are dominant over blue; which is why vampire venom can overpower human traits during the transformation. But, with her, some of her human characteristics come through and stay. I believe it stems from the fact that human and vampire DNA is not as different as one may at first may think. But, regardless, when something new comes up, it is hard to deal with it accordingly. It's a mother's worse fear, of watching her child suffer and not knowing exactly how to help her. But this," I gestured to her skinny, malnourished form "Is from malnourishment. She hasn't been feeding. She is better though, because I gave her my own blood. When I brought her here, I used my blood to suppress her vampire traits, to hide her in the human world as much as possible. That was not helping her malnutrition, but I have now started the reversal process. She will revert back to herself soon. However, regardless of her DNA, she still needs blood to survive and she has starved herself too much. The pain in her abdomen and stomach is from hunger, just as the stomach 'growls' when one is hungry. Human food isn't enough anymore, and she knew when she woke up this morning. She knew she couldn't keep going like this anymore."

"What can we do to help?" Carlisle asked, stepping forward. I smiled slightly, appreciating the gesture, though there was not much for them to do. But I decided to take him up on it anyway.

"In the trunk of my car is a cooler packed with human blood. There should also be more IV tubes and medical equipment. I would appreciate it if you could bring a few bags up here in the cooler and put the rest in the fridge," I requested, holding out the key. He nodded and the boys and he stood and left the room. While they did, Esme and Alice moved closer to the bed, getting closer to me and Ila. Esme reached out and brushed her cheek lightly. I could tell she loved her—they all did— and I felt content in that, in the past year and a half since I left her, she felt loved. Rosalie was struggling mentally though and I met her gaze. She worked to say something to me, to apologize, but I hushed her.

"It's ok, Rosa," I assured her. She nodded, her eyes on Ila, and I could feel the protective edge in her mind, a trait I was glad to see in my niece.

"You haven't told us your name," Alice asked, hesitant. I smiled kindly at her, allowing her to feel comfort and not ill at ease as she was.

"I've had many names over the years. But the name I was given when I was born is Nila, meaning dark blue for my eyes," I said. Alice smiled as Esme responded.

"Your eyes are beautiful."

"Thank you. You cannot see it now, but Ila has my eyes, almost exactly. But hers have more gold in them." I said, prideful that my daughter shared such a characteristic with me.

"Ila is a such beautiful name," Esme murmured, her hand running over Ila's arm. I smiled slightly, my eyes still on Ila, entranced as I always was by my daughter.

"She told you what the name means in terms of mythology and culture. But the literal translation can also mean 'Earth'; and she is my entire world. 'Bela', on the other hand, was a nickname that was occasionally used in my village, and it was a nickname her father gave to her the night she was born," I said.

"Where is her father?" Alice asked. My heart clenched tightly and I fought back the emotion in my voice once more. I didn't look at either of them when I answered.

"Zakali was present when she was born. But he left us that night. I haven't seen him since," I admitted. They were shocked, as were the men as they came back in with the cooler and equipment. Their minds all converged in the same direction though and I quickly worked to explain.

"He didn't leave for the reasons you are thinking. Think about it; he is the first vampire to ever walk the planet. He's had a target on his back all his life. When she was born, he could imagine the thought of her—or me—getting hurt because of him. She was and is too young, too innocent and good, to be caught up in the danger of our world. So he left, to protect me and her, knowing that I was human and defenseless. He believed that if he left and we stayed in hiding, we would be safe. Up until the situation with James last spring, he was right."

They were still shocked, but one of them understood me immediately. Edward met my eyes, his eyes haunted as he thought of his leaving his mate, just her father had left us. To protect the ones they loved.

"He left us to protect us," I said, "But, after Ila was born and Zakali had gone, I knew I couldn't stay human. Humanity, for me, was only based in the effort to bear children, and the transition was much harder for me than I dreamed. You all wish you could be human again, for various reasons, but I can tell you that going from vampire to human after so long is very difficult, insurmountable even. Just based on the loss of your strength and senses, you feel like a fly, defenseless, at the will of those stronger than you, which was a lot.

"I know you all are looking and thinking that the transformation, if at all possible, would be worth it, but I can assure you. There's a reason I chose to transform back again. Think on this; if you were granted your humanity again, right here, right now, what would change? Regardless of the fact that you were human, there would still be vampires who know of your existence, those who would want to kill you. Once you become a part of the vampire world, you cannot leave it that easily. It stays with you, even if you change back. Also, you would not be able to stand the defenselessness. Emmett," I turned to him, "if you were human again, but Rosalie wasn't. If she was in danger, you wouldn't be able to defend her and both of you would die. The same situation works for every single one of you. Losing your enhanced senses, the abilities you have that make you the vampire you are cripples you more than you know."

They didn't know how to respond to that. But, as they thought it through, they could see my reasoning.

"Right after I stopped breastfeeding, I changed back. Since her father was gone, I knew I needed to protect her the best that I could, and the only way I knew how was through becoming a vampire again." I summarized. I gave them a few minutes to drink it in, before turning to Cylis. He was expecting it and immediately began amending.

"I apologize profusely, Ralae, but I could not do nothing again—" he began but I put a hand up.

"I understand, Cylis. It is forgiven. Did you deal with the bodies on the La Push reservation?" I asked. He nodded, relieved at my words.

"Yes, and I have called those in to deal with the issue in Seattle. It is done," he assured me. I nodded, satisfied. The Cullens caught on.

"Seattle? As in the newborn army?" Jasper asked. I nodded.

"Yes, with the woman Victoria as their leader," I said.

"So Bella was right," Carlisle mused with Edward, to which he nodded.

"The situation is taken care of. There will be no more deaths. I personally took care of Victoria on my way here, since she believed it suitable to target my daughter," I said flippantly.

"Which is a bad move on her part," Emmett said and I smiled.

"You're learning, Emmett. Just be aware of that, because you're technically my nephew-in-law," I said, lightly threatening. He got the message but was not very disturbed. He knew that I knew he treated her like royalty, and I was glad Rosalie got at least half of what she wanted.

Edward's mind got my attention. He was thinking about Ila, as he always seemed to be, but he was also thinking about the impasse on the argument they have been having for the past weeks. She wanted become a vampire, at least Isabella Swan did, and he wanted her to marry him. She also wanted them to have a 'real honeymoon', to which I couldn't a small mental laugh at the boy unable to actually think the word 'sex'. It was still mulling over in his head, how to deal with it, now that she no longer needed to be 'changed'. I felt some sympathy for him, at his fear, because I understood it from being with Zakali for so long. But, at the same time, I didn't sympathize for him; he was also the one who was trying to take the one thing I had left in the world from me. But I would deal with that later. I was brought out of my reverie when I felt Ila shift in her sleep, her mind beginning to feel with agitation and pain. I held her still, not wanting her to lash out with her body and hit one of the Cullens' stone bodies. She fought me, the symptoms building up. I repositioned myself above her as her eyes flew open.

* * *

I let out a cry as I woke up, my body curling in on myself. My fingers gripped the sheets beneath me tightly, ripping them instantly. I was trembling, hard, trying to control my body as the hunger overcame my mind. I felt my mother's warm hands on me and I cried out to her, sobbing.

" _I need to turn you onto your back_ ," she instructed me but I shook my head. I couldn't move; everything hurt so badly.

" _Please, baby, it's the only way I can make this stop_ ," she pleaded. I whimpered but allowed her to turn me, crying out in pain as she did so.

" _I know, baby, I know, shh_ ," she murmured. She was sitting next to me and my body was curled around her. Tears were streaming from my face, the scarlet water blinding me. I suddenly smelled disinfectant and felt my shirt being pulled up, something cool and wet being rubbed onto my skin. I knew what it was and I fought my instincts to escape the grasp my mother had on me. I felt her inject a needle into my abdomen and, moments later, the area went numb. I couldn't help the tears coming down my cheeks from the hunger pains. My mother quickly and expertly cut a hole in my stomach wall and inserted a tube, cleaning it up quickly before attaching the other end to IV bag of blood that was on the wall. I watched through blurred vision as the fluid moved through the tub quickly and into my stomach.

My mother wiped my tears gently, cleaning her hands with a tissue to get rid of the blood. It was only a few moments later that I felt the pain begin to ebb and my body relaxed while I continued to sob quietly. My mother murmured to me gently, comforting me as I recoiled around her. I could sense others around me and I looked to find Rose, Esme, and Alice besides me, their eyes worried. My tears still flowing, I touched Esme's hand that was on my arm.

"Hey there, sweetheart," she murmured, brushing her fingertips against my skin comfortingly. I buried myself into my mother's lap again, breathing deeply as the blood flowed into my stomach, feeding me. I looked up at my mother and her eyes were worried for me, but in control.

"It's ok," she told me, "It won't be long now." I knew what she meant and I sighed deeply as I relaxed into her, allowing my body to rest and recupierate, before the real work began.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long! But this is a long chapter, with a lot more answers!**

 **VIP:** **sujari6, BridieM, KAT-TWILIGHT75, and heartstrings13**

 **MVP** **: kgarrison3, teamwolfaltw**

 **Love you guys! Hope you all enjoyed! Please review! They make me happy! :)**

 **~Melinda :)**


	15. Change

Chapter 15: Change

* * *

It did not take long for my blood, and the blood which I had acquired, to influence Ila's body. She was up and moving within an hour of the initial transfusion into her digestive system. She was still very weak, for her anyway, but healthy as far as a human goes. I told her that the the change would be progress quickly and it would only be a couple of hours before she needed to rest her body for the final process. I had never actually done this in my life, obviously, but I knew the basic parameters of the change, similar to my own. She understood, but she was nervous about revealing herself to the Cullens, still very wary of their reactions. I, however, was very positively surprised on how well they had taken all the news so far, and was confident in their feelings toward her. I comforted her, telling her that if they loved her as much as she knows they do, they will not have a problem. I myself was anxious to have her back to full strength; not only would she be more capable in her true form, but I missed my daughter, my little girl. I could tell part of her was excited about losing her humanity—she never preferred her human traits, partly because of the feeling she didn't belong and also from the weakness it usually gave her. She was ready, though, as was I.

I stayed downstairs in the Cullen's living room, unconsciously sipping a cup of coffee, giving the Cullens and Ila as much privacy as I could, though that was not completely possible. She was sitting crosslegged on the bed while the Cullens sat around her; she was dressed in only a black sports bra and black shorts. Her temperature had been rising for a while now, her immune system reacting to the change. Alice and Rosalie were running their hands over her body in an attempt to cool her down, though Ila assured them it wasn't necessary.

"This is equivalent of the fire you felt when you changed," she said, and I could feel the involuntary shudder of all the Cullens at the thought.

"How long does it take?" Carlisle asked, his medical curiosity getting the better of him.

"Not long now. I'm beginning to feel tired. My body is working on transforming so much so that it will knock me out so it doesn't have to focus on keeping me conscious. This is all very similar to my mother's transformation. But we don't know what will happen once I become unconscious. In your transformation, your heart stops. My mother's didn't. But it was a different process, than both yours or mine. My mother will do what needs to be done though. She's seen enough transformations, she knows them in and out."

"But all the transformation other than hers have been like ours. So how can she know?" Jasper asked. I felt Ila smile.

"She's lived through every milestone the vampire race has endured, and she knows more about vampires than anyone else. Probably even better than my father." she replied. I couldn't help a chagrined expression to come to my face. I had never heard her talk of me to other people before, and I could feel the pride in every word. I didn't deserve it.

"If you could change yourself back any time you wanted, why did you push for your change?" Rosalie asked. Ila laughed lightly.

"What would you do if you were in my position? Say 'Yeah, I know you guys never die but I'm not really human so I don't have to worry about that either but shhhh, you're not supposed to know that.' Please, Rosalie. It was nothing more than a cover-up, an act," she said.

"You're a terrible actress, though," Jasper commented teasingly. She snorted.

"The true ability to act is to make people believe you are not acting at all. And even better acting is being able to convince people that you are a bad actor, or actress, in my case," she said. "But I was not able to choose when to turn back. The suppression of my vampiric traits were at my mother's will, and thus, only she could initiate that process properly. However, I could feel when I woke up this morning that the turn was coming, one way or another. I had starved myself for so long, my body was killing itself from the inside out. And when it got the point it has, the body's natural instinct is do what it needs to for survival. In my case, the vampirism in my DNA was 'reawakened', if you will, and that, in addition to the jolts of adrenaline, allowed me to have access to my abilities to stop the Vercrian and save Claire. My mother's blood merely makes the change more bearable. If she hadn't transfused her blood and allowed my body to stop suppressing my vampiric genes, I would be in a lot more pain than I am right now."

"I thought her blood transfusion was meant to give you nourishment," Carlisle said.

"It did, but not like food. Her transfusion's prime function was to relieve my body of trying to obey her will and 'stay completely human', to allow my body to relax enough to begin to reverse the process. But she had to give me regular human blood immediately after that, because that was what gave me the nutrition I needed. You noticed that there wasn't as much of a difference after she gave her own blood but there was a dramatic difference after I was given an IV bag directly into my digestive system,. Also, her blood went into directly into my bloodstream, not my stomach." Carlisle nodded, his head turning with the new information.

"What do you mean, your mother's 'will'?" Jasper asked.

"Part of the legend is that the gifts modern vampires possess come from the abilities of my mother and father and the venom they gave to the first vampires to create them. My mother is a strong telepath; she was from her birth, and it only increased with age, just like her strength and speed. She can read minds, like Edward, and can tell how a person is feeling, like Jasper, but it is more advanced and intricate than that. In essence, she can 'feel' a person; rather than reading a mind or emotion, she can split her mentality to literally slip into the mind of the other person. Many may see that as the same as Edward's talent, but it isn't. It's like comparing listening to an audiobook on an individual's autobiography and living their life alongside them, seeing and feeling whatever they felt throughout their lives. Also, Edward's abilities only work in the moment. Aro, on the other hand, can see every thought with contact. However, his gift is 'primitive', I guess you could call it, and thus, there are ways of blocking what Aro can see. My mother can delve into a person's thoughts and really understand them. But her power goes beyond that. Once you have such control, such power, over a person, you are able to almost mask your mind and bend their will toward yours. And because you have access to their mind and, in effect, their brain, you can control metabolic and physiological processes that the body does involuntarily, such as breathing, blood circulation, heart rate."

"Wow," Emmett said. Ila and I laughed simultaneously at his response.

"How do you know all of this about it? I know she's your mother but…" Jasper trailed off. Ila smiled slightly again.

"I know this for two reasons, and both will astonish you. The first is that I have all the same abilities she has, the same telepathy and mind control. That is how I was able to take control of the human Pat. The second is because, since I was born, my mother and I have a mental link, a bond you could say, that connects our minds. Half the time we choose to stay in our own minds, but when we choose to converge on each other's consciousness, we, in effect, become one person. Her thoughts are mine and I hers. It's a very deep connection, with no geographic boundaries, rooted in our shared DNA and through our shared experiences."

While she had been talking, I had climbed the stairs at a relaxed pace. I did not want to alarm her; as she had said, she could feel me just as much as I could feel her. But I know cutting her off from my mind, something I could do to her but she had not learned to do to me, would scare her more. But I could feel her fatigue; and I could tell it was starting to affect her, though the Cullens wouldn't be able to tell. It was only in her mind that the tiredness was present; there was no outward indicator, not yet, at least. I leaned against the door jamb as she finished.

"Well, I did breastfeed you. And you did take a lot of my blood when you did so," I commented. Ila blushed, slightly embarrassed. I approached, my hand curving around her cheek. She pressed her face into my hand, her eyes closing and sighing quietly.

" _Rest, darling, it's time_ ," I murmured. She nodded and put her weight into her hand. Gently, I helped her lay down on her side. Her temperature continued to increase but her eyes stayed closed and her breathing evened out. She was asleep. I sat besides her as I spoke.

"The bond is not one I understand, but each day it gets stronger, more concrete. I believe it is related to the development of oxytocin, the 'love hormone', which first was introduced in breastfeeding to invoke emotional bond between mother and child. But it seems to have a positive feedback: oxytocin regulates it and the bond produces more oxytocin. As a result, we are very close, emotionally and physically. Which was why I was able to suppress her vampire genes; it was why she was able to give Rosalie her memories, if she needed them. Our DNA is also very similar, though mine and Ila's are a lot closer than either of us and you, Rosa. It has to do with the fact that you only have two strands of DNA."

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked, his interest peaked once again.

"I have 8 strands of DNA. That is the one biological difference I find between me and Zakali with the rest of the vampires. You have two extra chromosomes, but still only double helical DNA. I have the same number of chromosomes as a human, but I have eight strands of DNA instead. Ila has the same number of chromosomes, but has 14 strands of DNA."

They were stunned, partly because of the idea of so much genetic material, which makes sense considering how much extra abilities vampires have compared to humans, but also from how much research I had done in the field. But, once again, when you've lived for 12,000 years and you were the second of your kind, it is expected to be curious at one point in your very long life.

"Her abilities are extraordinary; some of the things she can do with her mind...it is unlike anything close to what I've seen in my entire life. I guess it is akin to what the legends call 'unparalleled'," I said. My voice tightened slightly at the mention of the legends, and they noticed.

"Do you think she will do it? Fulfill the prophecy?" Jasper asked. I looked up at him.

"I don't care. You might find that odd, as I lost my entire coven to the Vercrian, and should despise them. And I do, more than you can imagine. But she is my daughter, my only child and, after Zakali left, she is the only thing I have left in the world. She is my priority, the light of my life, and I will not allow such pressures from a prophecy dictate what she should do with her life. I may be a vampire, and a powerful one at that, but I'm a mother first." I answered. Jasper looked taken aback and he made to apologize but I waved it off.

"It is alright. It is expected. But right now, I want to get her back to herself, her real self," I said. They nodded to themselves and no one spoke for a time. Ila's heartbeat began to increase, her temperature steadily rising.

"How different will she be?" Alice asked. I look at her, feeling sympathetic.

"Not as different as you think. When you first met her, she was a lot closer to her real self than in recent months, times you were not present for, and neither was I, at least physically." I looked down at her as I recalled the memories I could see in her mind, the emptiness, the blackness, the pain, and I had to fight back the urge to defend my daughter against those who had hurt her so badly from leaving, those who tore her heart into a thousand pieces. "Even underneath her human facade, her abilities were still there. You just didn't recognize her using them." I turned toward them, smiling bemusedly this time.

"Do you really think no one saw you run across the parking lot and stop a van with your hand?" I asked Edward condescendingly. His eyes widened, his eyes dropping to Ila and then going back up to me. The Cullens were equally startled and I chuckled, despite the situation.

"She loved you first. Since the moment she met you. And she did what she needed to do to protect those she loved," I said, my eyes leaving his to fall to Ila once more. I allowed the Cullens to process this. But I didn't give them long. Ila's heart began to pound and her breathing became faster. I felt her temperature rising; it was at least 108 degrees now. I allowed myself into her mind; though she was physically unconscious, she could feel my presence in her mind. I allowed that knowledge to calm myself as I turned toward the Cullens.

"It may be best if you left," I hinted. They obliged, leaving immediately, though Edward hesitated.

"She will be ok," I assured him. He listened, but begrudgingly. I felt my mouth moving, words coming from it fluidly, quickly, speaking to Ila in our own language, telling her everything would be alright, that she was fine, doing everything I could to both calm her and myself, while not letting her know I was worried. It seemed to work; she trusted me absolutely, a trust I did not deserve. I watched, surprised as her skin, a light porcelain shade of white before, began to tan. I saw the muscles in her abdominals, arms, and legs, harden and lean out. Her hair, so dark and brown previously, took on its original shade, still deep chocolate brown, but with mahogany red in her roots. Her heart continued to beat faster, her breathing ragged, her temperature rising still, though more slowly than before. It didn't show a sign of stopping and I began to worry and find back-up plans in my mind. Everything was pounding and overwhelming my sensitive ears when suddenly everything stopped abruptly; her heart stopped beating. I held my breath, waiting, my eyes on her face, refusing to allow the fear to wash over me.

Ila sucked in air suddenly, and her heart began again, pounding strong and regular; her normal heartbeat, the indicator of her strength. After her first intake of air, her breathing quieted, relaxed. Her body temperature diminished, returning to the normal human level, as it should be. Her eyes snapped open and, since I was inside her mind, I could feel the flash of red behind her vision, as I met her blood red eyes. Even as I stared into the crimson irses, I saw the familiar band of gold flecks around her cores, and I sighed in relief.

 _Mother_. It was one word, but she didn't speak it. I reveled in the feeling of her mind in mine, the same as it had been before I invoked the human in her. We met gazes and I knew she understood what I was feeling, because she could feel it too.

My daughter, my Ila, was back.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Sorry this took a while! School's been hectic!**

 **Sorry this chapter may seem chaotic but it was more to fill you in on more details!**

 **WARNING: The next chapter will have a serious ending. And you WILL be mad at me for it. Just warning you ahead of time so you're somewhat prepared.**

 **Shoutouts** **: JaelSarjenka, rogueslaygal**

 **VIP:** **sujari6, BridieM, KAT-TWILIGHT75, and heartstrings13**

 **MVP** **: kgarrison3, teamwolfaltw**

 **Also, in response to rogueslaygal's comment: I understand the lack of indication of PoV's may seem confusing, but it is deliberate. As you now know, Nila and Ila's minds are very much connected, which is why I am comfortable switching PoV's. You will notice that I did not use Nila's PoV prior to her arrival, as Ila was not mentally capable of connecting with her before then. So I understand if it is confusing, but I hope you will not stop reading :)**

 **Also, in response to kgarrison3's comment: In this fan fiction's reality, there would have been no way Ila would have allowed Edward to bite her. She would have left or admitted the truth (probably the former) before that would have happened. I will explain it later. I hope your other two questions were answered in this chapter.**

 **If you have any questions related to these, feel free to comment them and I will respond either via my AN's or through a DM (whichever I see fit).**

 **Glad to see more new handles around! :D**

 **BTW, side notes again: I am thinking about doing another Bella-gets-pregnant story, but slightly different and shorter than Miracle of Love. Let my know if that would interest any of the MoL peoples!**

 **Love you guys! Hope you all enjoyed! Please review! They make me happy! :)**

 **~Melinda :)**


	16. Drink

Chapter 16: Drink

* * *

Everything was so fast; I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, my breathing coming in pants. I made to struggle but the familiar presence in my mind stopped my action. My mother was there; she was sitting besides me. She knew what was happening, and she told me it would be ok. I relaxed, at least mentally, allowing my body to succumb to the symptoms. Her mind was firm, strong, and I latched onto it for my own strength. I felt so hot, my body temperature continuing to rise exponentially. I silently wished for Edward, for the Cullens, for their ice cold skin to help with the rising heat. They weren't close enough though, and I knew I needed to do this without them. And I knew I didn't want them to see me like this. So I stayed still, allowing my mother's presence to wash over me and comfort me.

I felt a shock as my heart stopped for a beat or two, then my body jolted slightly as it restarted, pounding as it naturally does. Not faster than a human's heart, but healthier, stronger. My breathing relaxed, the oxygen easily coming into my lungs as I regained my mental and physical consciousness, though my eyes were still closed. I felt an ache in my muscles, but the ache you feel after a long period without exercising. My eyes were burning, and a flick of my eyelids confirmed their red hue. I opened my eyes, immediately going to my mother. She sat besides me on the bed, her eyes connected with mine, just as her mind was.

 _Mother_ , I whispered, though only mentally. She smiled, genuine. She was happy I was back to my real self. I sat up slowly, my eyes widening as I got reaccustomed to my hypersensitive vision. My ears took in everything; I felt I was deaf as a human and now got a hearing aid on steroids. I smiled to myself, inhaling and exhaling slowly as I took in all the scents around me. I heard my mother chuckle softly at my actions, but I didn't respond to her at first, just reveling in the feeling of the ordinary, of rightness.

After a few moments, I stood and began to change into the clothes my mother had pointed to on the bed. It only took nine and a half seconds to change. I wore a black spaghetti strap tank top that stopped at my hip where my black skinny jeans and belt began. The black combat boots were comfortable. I pulled my hair into a ponytail. All the while, I heard the shuffling downstairs. If I had been human or even a regular vampire, the sounds would have not sounded like shuffling. But my sensitive hearing could pick up everything, and their constant movement hinted at their nervousness. It didn't take much for me to realize I did not want to face them, not yet. And certainly not with red eyes. My mother picked up on that, either that or she suspected as much. She handed me her switchblade and I tucked the knife into my boots.

"You need to drink. Now," she said, in English. She and I knew it wasn't for me, but for those downstairs. And they seemed to realize it too. I nodded and, as if on cue, my stomach ached in hunger. I wrapped an arm loosely around my abdomen. In response, my mother made toward the balcony. Within a moment, we had leapt from the balcony and were running through the forest, toward Seattle.

* * *

The run had exhilarated me; human speed was frustratingly slow and it was one of the things I hated most about my time in Forks. But now my heart was slowing from the adrenaline of running in excess of a hundred miles an hour, slow for both me and my mother. But she wanted to me to take it easy, in the beginning. I obeyed, though begrudgingly. At the moment, My mother and I are sitting on the edge of a building in the worse part of the city. We sat casually, legs crossed, as if we were just enjoying the moonlight on our faces, which we were partially. But our true purpose was much more instinctual. Our senses expanded as far as possible in this tranquil night. We are about 14 miles from the city center; I could see the Space Needle if I opened my eyes. But I didn't. Running here from the Cullen mansion took a little less than an hour, not that I minded.

My face raised to the sky, eyes closed, I drank in the white rays of the moon. My mother watched the people below, both on the street and in the buildings, working to pick out the appropriate target. She is anxious to get me fed, and I don't really blame her. I felt guilty for putting in her in this position, though she assures me it doesn't matter. But I am still young, she and I both know that, and she knows she needs to focus on me getting my fill. I let my hearing travel. I heard shuffling below us and to the right, a homeless man shuffling through a dumpster. A woman in the building across from us irons as her two toddlers—a boy and a girl—play on the rug in front of the TV.

"Northeast, about thirty five yards away," my mother murmured. I opened one eye and saw hers still closed. I closed my eyes again and followed her instructions. I heard the clink of metal, the low treading of a bike in the dirty road. A man, about 210 pounds it seemed, from the amount of weight he presses into the ground with each step. He was an athlete, from the sound of him. My stomach ached internally and I let out a soft moan before I could stop myself.

"Shhh, I know," my mother hushed me. We both rose from our positions at the same time. We casually swung our legs over the side of the building and let go, falling easily and silently to the concrete below and continuing as quietly down the narrow street between the dilapidated buildings and warehouses. Within moments, we caught sight of our prey. He was tall, with brown hair cropped short. He was very muscular in his legs, definitely a cyclist. Maybe even a triathlete. I moved toward him and I heard my mother stay back in the shadows of an adjacent warehouse. I did not try to hide my presence and, when he caught sight of me, he smiled warmly. He was a nice boy, from what I can tell from the essence of his mind that I caught, 19 years old, geology major, honors student…..

"Hey there," he said. I smiled, the gesture friendly and innocent.

"Hi," I replied, keeping my voice at a normal, 17-year-old girl level.

"You look lost," he said. I already liked him. Most boys called me 'sugar' or 'sweetheart' after I said one word. Sometimes I don't need to say anything; boys and men have often gawked at me, and my mother too. I intend on keeping this boy alive though, unless he tries to scream, of course.

"I am, I'm embarrassed to admit," I said, sounding sheepish, while looking along the street to sense any one coming our way. No one. Good.

"My name's Kevin, what's yours?" He asked, putting his hand out.

"Ariana." I said, shaking his hand. He liked me, I could tell from his relaxed yet elated composure.

"Do you need any assistance, Ariana?" Kevin asked. I began to like him even more; yes, I will definitely not kill him, I decided. I gestured down the street where I came from.

"I was on my way to a friend's house, but I got lost." I say.

"Bad luck to get lost in a place like this. Something bad can happen to a little thing like you. I can help you. I know this area well. Where does your friend live?" Kevin asked. The first part was not a threat or a leer, just a statement of fact. But he did not know that I was the most dangerous one on the street tonight. His concern was genuine, however. I gestured back toward where I came.

"I have her address in my car. I can go get it," I offered. A car actually did sit a few hundred yards behind me, though it wasn't mine, obviously.

"It's okay; I'll come with you," Kevin assured me. My smile was alluring but friendly as we began to walk back up the street, him leaving his bike behind, leaning it against a wall. People like Kevin, with his demeanor, often make me second-guess what I am about to do. But, unfortunately, it was not something I can control. Kevin went to ask me another question when I pushed him into the alleyway where my mother hung back. My actions were too quick for a human to follow, if any had seen it, which none had. My mother grasped Kevin by his neck, clamping a hand down over his mouth, keeping him from screaming. We all crouched down in the underbrush; well, my mother and I were crouching while Kevin was sitting on the ground with my mother behind him. His eyes were wide.

"If we let you speak, will you scream? You will die if you scream," I said, my voice nonchalant. Kevin's eyes widened but he nodded frantically. My mother looked at me for affirmation and I nod my head, sure Kevin won't scream if he allow him breath. She knew he wouldn't, but she is making me do a crash course in this to make sure my mental abilities are back to normal, which they are. She removed her hand from his mouth but kept her fingers at the collar of his shirt.

"Who are you?" He gasped. I smiled wryly.

"It's not _who_ , as much as _what_ ," I told him. His jugular was pounding in his neck and I found myself staring at it longingly. But I forced myself to focus.

"We will not hurt you if you listen to us. You are a nice boy, and we do not wish you any harm," I said. Kevin was still scared but also confused. His heart pounded and the blood in his veins rushed beneath his comparatively delicate skin. I leaned in closer, allowing my gaze more freedom, but nowhere near enough to do unwanted damage.

"After we are done with you, you will go out back to your bike and continue on your way. You will not remember either of us; You do not know either of us. My name is not Ariana and you never met me. Understand?"

Like a robot, Kevin nodded. I asked him to repeat what I just told him and he did perfectly. His manner told me he will not suffer from this amount of control on his mind. Without wasting any more time, I leaned over him. My mother held Kevin's neck back, baring it toward me.

My lips grazed his throat.

I bit down, moaning as the red liquid gushed into my mouth.

I drank deeply.

* * *

It takes eleven more rounds of Kevins in order to satisfy and fill my stomach. Each of them continued on their way after a mere ten minutes with my mother and me, none the wiser. My mother had just drank before coming to Forks but in a hurry and she took out a couple of homeless men that lay in the alleys we passed. She didn't bother to alter their minds; in fact, afterwards, she handed them each a hundred dollar bill. They were grateful, though they were all slightly incoherent from the bite. After the fourth, she and I continued down the street, stopping as we hit the pier. We both looked out into the open water, each of our minds elsewhere. She suddenly turned to me. Though she spoke, her mouth didn't move.

 _You know what I'm going to tell you_. She said. I casted my eyes down, and after a second, I nodded.

 _You need to do this. It is the only way to protect them, and you_. I nodded again, though I had to fight the tears this time. She put her hand on my cheek and I pressed into her warmth, trying to find comfort in what I was about to do.

We left.

* * *

The Cullen mansion was alight with activity when I arrived. They didn't hear me, and I stayed in the shadows as I took in the scene before me: the Cullens sat or stood in the living room, the werewolves around them. The wolves were quizzing the Cullens on me, on my mother. The Cullens, shocked still from all the happened in the past hours, took comfort in another group that was going through the same level of news. They spoke back and forth, animated about the truth behind the legends, my and my mother's abilities, all sorts of things. I had wanted them to get along, and that's what I got. The irony is incredible. I allowed my presence to be known, purposely brushing against some branches to allow them to hear me. All talking ceased and they turned toward me as I entered the front lawn on the Cullen's house, stepping from the trees.

I saw through them what they saw: healthy, tanner skin, more rich red and brown mahogany hair, muscular body, the slight lean in my body that hinted at my constant alertness. They saw the tattoo on my right hand, identical to my mother's, the Sanralae symbol, embedded in my skin in my parents' venom. The eyes, though, are what threw them off. They were accustomed to the brown that had been apart of my human facade, but they had been hypothesizing on what they would look like. What the didn't expect was the deep sapphire blue, tinged with gold flecks around the centers. All together, I looked different, but at the same time I was the same, something they did not expect either. But they saw something else, an amazing aura about me, an essence of myself that hints at my ultra supernatural origins. All modern vampires were described as inhumanely beautiful; but I was described, in their minds, as humanely beautiful. While the Cullens' dark circles under their eyes and pale skin made them look less than human but accentuated their beauty, my features made me much more 'naturally' beautiful, in its own right. Also, there is a natural aura I carry with me, not intentionally though. I have a naturally enchanting and alluring charm about me, something that all creatures, whether human, vampire or neither, latch on to.

I approached them, and they watched the fluidity of my movements, but also the strength underneath. I was inside within moments and I appraised them as they appraised me. Rosalie was the first to approach and she took my hand, stroking along the crest before pulling me into a firm hug. In that gesture, I felt her apology and I hugged her back in acceptance, fighting tears the entire time. She jolted slightly at the strength I exuded, not enough to hurt her but enough to let her know it was there. She stepped away, keeping my left hand as the other Cullens approached me, Edward reaching me first. His hand curved to fit my cheek and, like with my mother, I leaned into his touch, my right hand touching his against my skin. His thumb stroked under my eye and his expression was awed and in love as he took me in. I looked away, my hand curving to take his and pressing my lips against his skin as I fought to stay calm and not cry. He sensed my feelings.

"What's wrong? Are you ok? Are you in pain?" he asked. The Cullens and wolves waited for my answer. I shook my head, laughing slightly as I kept my voice from cracking with emotion.

"No, I'm not in pain. I'm actually not in pain for the first time in a while," I replied. They noticed how I skipped over the first question.

"Then what's wrong?" Edward asked again. I stepped away from them, and they could sense the seriousness in my voice. I took a deep breath, steadying my breath, and tried to smile, or at least keep my face impassive.

"It's the end of the line. I did what I came to do. My mother has returned, and I am back to my normal self. Almost everything is back to the way it was. There's only one thing left to resolve now."

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked. His voice mirrored the suspicious mental tone of the others. I steeled myself.

"You. All of you," I admitted. They were confused and looked among each other before turning back to me.

"You know too much, about me, my mother, the truth of the legends. And so, your minds will be wiped. And all memories relating to this, to the legends, to my mother, to me, will be erased."

* * *

 **I'm so mean ;P**

 **Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Yes, I did use part of Analissa, but I already told you guys that this is partially a restart of that fanfic.**

 **Shoutouts** **: JaelSarjenka, rogueslaygal**

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 **MVP** **: kgarrison3, teamwolfaltw**

 **I don't know where some of your guys have gone but it's making me sad ;( Hopefully, you'll come back soon!**

 **Love you all! Please review! They make me so happy, you have no idea!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	17. Loyalty

Chapter 17: Loyalty

* * *

They didn't react at first, absorbing my words before speaking.

"N-n-no," I heard Alice Alice stutter, her body already overtaken by grief. Jasper clutched her to him but he met my eyes, equally haunted by both his mate's sadness and his own. Carlisle and Esme look between each other, their eyes showing the disdain to have to go through what happened when Edward left yet again. They knew they shouldn't have listened to him back then, and they were mentally prepared to not let it happen again. Rosalie was very close to distraught, pained at the thought of losing her biological family. Edward's hands were trembling, but he didn't say anything yet. But I could feel the onset of pain, even though I wasn't in his mind. The wolves did not react as strongly, but did react, partially from their ties with me but also from their instinctual desire to fulfill their vow to protect the Sanralae. Emmet was the only one that stayed sane enough to argue.

"You can't do that," he said. I met his gaze.

"Actually, I can. I'm leaving right afterward," I replied. The Cullens seemed to wake up from that statement.

"You can't, Bella. We can't survive without you. We all already know how little separating you from Edward helped. There's no difference now than there was then," Carlisle implored but I shook my head.

"There is a difference. When Edward left, I almost died from pain, haunted by the memories and the feelings I had toward not only him but to you all. The memory wipe takes away both your memories and your feelings; you feel forget the feelings you had toward me, as well as any recollection of me. If not, you would feel grief even if your memories weren't there. Edward did and does not have the ability to take away thoughts, but I do. I assure you it will be painless; you won't feel anything. And you will be safe. You will be protected from my world, one which is far more dangerous than what you could ever imagine." Edward's hands were gripping me firmly, and I saw he had no intention of letting go. I took his hands and pushed them back effortlessly, letting him feel the strength in me. He was surprised, and I saw the pain enter his features. His pain affected Jasper and, though everyone felt similar waves of grief, the emotion was multiplied tenfold as Jasper's talent pushed it onto everyone else. I sighed slightly, controlling my own emotions, and gently pushed the emotions from Jasper, dulling the effect they had on him. I didn't want them to suffer so much; they have suffered enough.

"Bella, please, we will come with you. We will do what we need to. Just don't do this. We don't want to forget," Esme said, her voice cracking with emotion. Carlisle wrapped his arms around her and he nodded to me in confirmation of her words. I sighed again.

"I'm not giving you a choice. It is too dangerous. And it is not just me wanting to protect you all, though it is a big part of it. Your kind of vampires are physically and mentally incapable of going against the Vercrian, no matter the numbers. They can kill one of you as easy as twenty. Nothing I can do will change your strength or speed, and they are faster than you, stronger than you, worse than you. They will kill you, and I will not allow you to do that," I said firmly. The Cullens made to fight me again, but I turned away from them, toward the wolves. They had accepted my actions and they met my gaze submissively.

"I am sorry for this, but it's better this way," I apologize, my voice sincere, regretful. Jacob was the only one who was not resolved and he stood, approaching me.

"Bella…" he began, but I cut him off.

"I know, Jake. But it's like you said. I need to stay with my own species," I told him. His face twisted in response to the memory but he nodded, backing down. I nodded to them one more time. Then gently, carefully, I overwhelmed their minds. Their bodies froze, rigid in shock, but I immediately relaxed them. Swiftly, I delved into their minds, their collected consciousness, and erased myself, my being, from their memory, taking away any proof that I ever existed and that they ever met me. It was done in moments. When I pulled my mind back into my own, I spoke softly but firmly.

"Go back to the reservation. Protect it, go back to the lives you knew before," I said. On command, they stood and departed, phasing. We all watched them go, and I knew it would be the last time any of them phased, save for Sam. He was the only wolf before I arrived, and I felt guilty for allowing him to live in lonely misery, but I stayed fast. He had Emily; that would be enough. I turned toward the Cullens, my eyes determined. They were scared, actually scared of me. They did not want me to do this, and they racked their brains for anything, _anything_ , to change my mind. But my mind was already made up. I approached Edward, allowing myself one last time in his arms. The rest of Cullens came closer, forming a circle around me. I could see venom in their eyes, all of them. Edward took me immediately, holding me to him tightly. I hugged him back, allowing him to see how much I loved him, before he forgot about me, forever. My nose and eyes reacted as if to cry as I thought of that, but I fought them back.

"What about you?" Edward asked. His eyes were grief-stricken, but I saw the fear for me in them too. I sighed.

"I won't recover, but I have already asked my mother to erase my memories soon after. It is better, for everyone, in the end. She is able to hide things from me, and she will hide the memories she has of you." I answered. Edward nodded, slightly relieved that I wouldn't suffer as long as he had when he left. The Cullens seemed to sense that I could understand their minds, and I heard each of them mentally say farewell. It wasn't a word, but a feeling, coupled with memories of me and them. It was bittersweet, and very painful to experience. I inhaled deeply, steeling myself to repeat the process I had done on the wolves. I allowed the tears to flow, red and bloody rather than clear and salty as they created dark tracks down my cheeks. They waited with bated breaths, their hands on me as their last goodbye. I was trembling, and Edward held me upright. They knew this was just as hard, if not harder, on me, and they patiently allowed me to get a grip. But I wasn't. I knew I needed to be strong; I knew I needed to do this.

But I couldn't.

That realization, though known beforehand, crumbled my resolve. I was sobbing suddenly, crying hard into Edward's chest as the pain burst free, not just the pain of what I was going to do, but of those lonely, comatose months when he left. My body and heart automatically shyed away from the pain, too much to bear. The front door opened and we all turned to see my mother standing in the doorway. Ignoring the Cullens' eyes on her, she moved forward. They parted as she approached and Edward gave me to her immediately. A whole another round of sobs came to the surface then and I cried into her shoulder uncontrollably. I collapsed then and she sank to the floor with me in her arms. She spoke to me softly, telling me it was ok. Still stricken with sadness but now also confused, the Cullens followed suit, sitting besides us on the floor. I heard my mother speak.

"I made her do this. I needed to know whether you could be trusted, whether you really loved her," she said.

"Wha—?" Edward began.

"As she said, our world is much more dangerous than yours. I needed to know if you were truly serious about your resolve to stay with her, with us, no matter what it cost you. Ila believed in you, and she swore to me. So I told her to do this, to make it seem like you were going to lose her, to prove your loyalty." Nila explained.

"So, you mean we're not…?" Esme began.

"No," Nila assured her, "The wolves and the rest of the people of Forks had to be dealt with, and they have been. But you are free to come with us, to be with us, if you so choose."

The Cullens all nodded, none of them forcing the others' hands in their decisions. I was still crying but not as badly. I hiccuped, nuzzling my mother's neck. She hushed me gently, continuing with the strain of soothing words. After she felt she could, she turned me toward Edward and I reached out to him desperately. She knew I needed him right now, and felt no outward emotion that I could see, good or bad. The Cullens moved closer to me as I lay in Edward's lap and they squeezed my hand or rubbed my back, letting me know they were there, forever. I sighed after a while, my head hurting from crying so hard and I allowed the fatigue from both the crying and from my change to overcome me as I fell asleep.

* * *

Ila fell asleep quickly, the crying tiring her out, not to mention the change only a couple of hours ago. Edward stood, cradling her carefully, gently, and moving to sit on the couch with her. The Cullens and I followed, me sitting in the armchair closest to the two of them. No one spoke for a while.

"I am sorry for that. I did not intend on hurting you. But I needed to know," I said.

"We understand. You love her," Carlisle said matter-of-fact.

"More than you can imagine," I said, trailing off as I watched my daughter sleep contentedly in her mate's arms. I met his gaze; he was watching me.

"What?" I asked. He shook his head.

"She looks so much like you," he stated. I cocked my head to the side.

"Does she really? I've always thought she looked more like her father," I said. The Cullens agreed with Edward. What they saw was a spitting image of me, just with darker hair. _Interesting_ , I thought to myself. Edward was still staring and I cocked an eyebrow at him, a small smirk on my face.

"You're not angry with me?...For leaving her?" he asked. I knew this question had been in his mind for a while, and I shrugged.

"Yes, I was. But what you just went through is enough retribution in my eyes. Especially since you seem to somewhat understand what you're getting into," I said, my eyes on Ila.

"But she is your little girl," Esme said, hearing the nonverbal 'but' in my mind. I smiled, nodding.

"Yes…" I said, once again trailing off. I delved a little into Edward's mind and there was something else that was bothering him. I snorted delicately.

"You are trying to figure out why she wouldn't say yes to you," I said. Edward's eyes were down cast, and I saw his siblings were entertained by the fact the mindreader of the family was having his ability turned on him. He nodded though.

"Partially, it had to do with the fact that she wanted my approval. However, the major part is the fact she technically already said 'yes'. You just didn't see it." I said nonchalantly. He looked up, confused and hopeful. I shook my head, a wry smile on my face.

"Remember who her parents are, Edward, remember when we first lived," I said, "when I was human and I married Zakali, there was no white dress, no chapel, no reception, nothing. Back then, it was much simpler. And making love was the equivalent of saying 'I do'."

"So you mean…" he began and I nodded.

"She wants to marry you. But a marriage certificate is just a piece of paper to her. As vampires, sex with our mates is the highest level of connection one can ascertain. Especially between beings like me and Zakali. It is very intimate, beyond the conventional definition." I told him. He nodded after a moment, his mind swirling. He looked up at me again, his eyes questioning.

"So you don't have any objection…." Again, he trailed off and I had to fight a laugh. I had to remind myself that the boy grew up in a time where such discussion was taboo. But my answer sobered me up.

"Ultimately, that isn't my decision. She can choose what she wants, and she chose you. I don't have any control," I said, shrugging again, my eyes down at Ila's face. Though they could sense my mood and the words I would not speak.

"She does want your approval though. As do I," Edward continued. I lifted my gaze to him, another smile on my face.

"Thank you. I appreciate that," I said. I didn't say anything else, and he pushed.

"Well?" he asked. I sighed, and, for the first time in their presence, my breath was unsteady.

"I've been alive for a long time. I've seen everything, from the construction of the pyramids, to the Blitzkrieg genocide, to the invention of modern technology. All during that time, Zakali was by my side, since the minute his blood entered my system. And now, he's gone. I know he is alive, but I don't know where he is, or if I'll ever see him again. My daughter...she's all I have left in the world. My life, though incredibly long, would mean nothing without her. It may be unfair to Zakali to say this, but the past 18 years have been the best of my life because of her. I couldn't bear not being with her. So, yes, there is a part of me that does not want you to marry her, but I know that's not what she would want. Her happiness is above mine. You have my consent. But I am selfish, and I will ask one thing of you…"

Edward leaned forward, the Cullens likewise, curious about my request of them, from the oldest and most powerful creature on Earth, in their eyes. I fought my own tears when I spoke, though I believed they could see them brimming crimson in my tear ducts, or at least they could tell in my voice.

"Please don't take her away from me," I whispered. My eyes on my daughter, they didn't speak at first.

"Never," Edward said firmly. And I believed him. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself as I nodded. I felt a cold hand on my mine. I squeezed Rosalie's hand tightly in response as we all watched Ila rest.

* * *

 **Hey guys! How was that? I had to fight my tears writing this chapter!**

 **Next one will be up soon! We are not even halfway through and the main plot has not been introduced yet! :)**

 **Still tossing around the idea of another MoL type story; will notify you guys later on!**

 **VIP:** **sujari6, BridieM, KAT-TWILIGHT75, and heartstrings13**

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 **Love you all! I love reviews! :)**

 **~Melinda :)**


	18. Questions

Chapter 18: Questions

When I woke up, the sun was shining. But the room stayed black as pitch. It wasn't a problem for my real eyes though, and I could perfectly see my mother sitting nonchalantly on the bed next to me, typing absentmindedly on her laptop. I moved to face her more directly and she met my eyes.

 _How was your sleep?_ She asked.

 _Like you don't know,_ I replied, raising an eyebrow. She smiled in response, flashing her teeth at me. As she did so, I felt a familiar ache. Natural, hunger pains. But no longer from my abdomen, though my stomach was slightly growling for human food, which I hadn't digested in a while. The ache came from my mouth, my teeth, yearning for relief. My mother held out a sports bottle. I sat up, taking it and sniffing the air questioningly. The scent of O negative filled my senses and a small moan came from my mouth as I put the bottle to my lips and began sucking it down. The blood running down my throat was welcomed and refreshing.

 _Easy. It's not going anywhere. I have some downstairs if you need more,_ my mother chided. I shook my head at her offer but gestured toward the windows.

 _Thanks_ , I said. She nodded before going back to her laptop. I watched her for a moment, seeing the screen through her eyes; something to do with her off shore bank accounts, to keep her multi-billionaire status under lock and key from the unsuspecting humans. Bored, I pulled out of her head, choosing instead to just look at her. It felt surreal but, the last few months, I had believed I would never see her again. And my body had not completely gotten over the shock. Also, I was partly expecting her to leave again, and I awaited a lecture on the reason why she would go. But she met my gaze, shaking her head slightly with a small half smile on her face.

 _I'm not going anywhere,_ she affirmed. I didn't respond, but just continued watching her doubtfully. The door opened then and I turned to look as Esme came in with a tray of warm food. My stomach growled in approval and I thanked her as she set down the chicken and mashed potatoes. I dug in, my mother taking a mouthful now and then. It was peaceful; there was no discussion between us, audibly or otherwise. We didn't need to talk; such was our relationship. When I was full, Esme took the tray again, brushing my cheek soothingly as she departed. My mother closed her laptop soon after, turning to face me directly. I stiffened slightly but she calmed me.

 _You need to talk to him_ , she said. I knew who she was talking about and I nodded, my nerves back up.

 _He deserves to know. Everything_ , she added. Again, I nodded. She handed me a small piece of paper and her car keys. There was an address written on it, a plastic key card wrapped in it. I nodded, standing up. I darted from the room, arriving in the family room in a moment. They all were there, Esme in the kitchen cleaning the dishes, Jasper and Emmett playing video games, Alice and Rose going through fashion magazines. Edward looked up as I entered, they all did, but my eyes were only for him.

"Can we go somewhere, to talk?" I asked him. The Cullens' eyes went to him as they awaited his response. He nodded, standing immediately. We left the house, jumping lithely from the porch and heading toward my mother's car. He and Rosalie had gushed over it earlier; they apparently love Maserati's. I headed for the driver's side and Edward didn't fight me. Smoothly turning around and speeding down the driveway, we were on the freeway in minutes.

"And you call me a speed demon," he commented, a wry smile on his face as he made note of the triple digit speed. I returned the smile.

"That was before, when I actually could get killed by a car crash," I said teasingly, punching the gas purposefully. We drove away from Forks and ended up in Seattle. The address she had given me was familiar; it was where we had stayed before she dropped me off in Forks. It was a private apartment of our family's, the top floor. There was a thick barrier between our condo and those around and below us, so no one ever knew we owned it, as from the business owners. The man at the front desk stuttered at me as he complied when I told him to not disturb us. Edward followed me quietly, watching my new demeanor with interest. We arrived at the apartment quickly and I tossed the keys away from me, landing them neatly in the small bowl on the dresser. I went to the fridge, opening it to find packets upon packets of blood. I then went into the closest off the bedroom, which was adorned with a king-sized mahogany bed with a black lace canopy and red silk sheets. I found what I was looking for and changed immediately. Edward stayed where he was, staring about the room curiously. When I reappeared in the room, he stared and I couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"Join me?" I asked, gesturing toward the pool in the back. The sun had gone down by now; it was twilight, the best time of day, the morning to my nocturnal nature. He nodded, his eyes on my face, trying not to look at the bikini I wore underneath a soft fleece robe. I smiled, opening the French doors and heading toward the pool side as he gathered himself. He approached me at the shallow end, having changed into loose shorts that I had left in the closet for him, while I dove directly into the deep end. I swam toward him as he descended the stairs, letting out my breath gently and flipping my wet hair back, a small smile on my face. I didn't need to surface for air; I could stay underwater for hours if needed without oxygen. He came closer and I appraised him, curious about what he would do. He stopped a mere eight inches from me, lifting his hand and brushing along my cheek bone gently and up underneath my eye. He saw me watching his every move.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I expected you to be more…reserved. Aren't you…disturbed by me?" I asked.

"Disturbed is not the word I would use. Moved, yes. Awed, definitely. You're much stronger, faster, more agile. It's disconcerting since I am used to your human self, but I'll get used to it," he mused, still staring at me.

"My appearance?" I inquired. He chuckled slightly.

"A change in hair and eye color mean nothing to me. It's you I fell in love with, not what you look like. I will say though," he added, as his thumb stroked beneath my eyes, sapphire blue staring back at him, "I now understand why I love you in blue so much. They're stunning. You're stunning."

"Thank you."

"So what is the reason for all this?" he asked nonchalantly. I sighed.

"For us to be alone. For me to fully explain. For you to ask what you want without the others present," I said, "You must have questions." He smiled slightly at my inquiry, nodding in affirmation. I waited.

"James' bite?" he asked. I glanced at my right wrist, where the scar was gone. I shrugged.

"My healing rate is astounding. My human body restricted it from healing properly and, thus, left a scar. My real body can overcome much more intense attacks than that." I said. He nodded, musing for his next question.

"The tattoo?" he asked. My right palm twitched as he took it, holding it up at examine it more closely. Amongst elegant swirls and lines, specific serpentine lines twisted perpendicular to the background adornments. The lines held the texture of tight cords or links, twisting intricately into the swirls into a distinct symbol, the symbol of the Sanralae. Shaped with jagged edges, hooked ends and a swirling center, the symbol vaguely resembled a crown, a pair of fangs, and a _S_. However, my parents chose the symbol long before fang stereotypes were in place, or before the Phoenician alphabet was introduced, though it is an extreme coincidence. I stroked it gently.

"It's the mark of the Sanralae," I said, though I knew he knew that already, "each of the Sanralae has it on us somewhere. My mother has hers identical to mine and my father has it on his upper right bicep. The ink is not ink at all. My mother has my father's venom and vice versa. I have both of theirs in mine. Venom is extreme significant in my world, as in yours. It shows an endless connection between us. My father left my mother a vile of his venom to inject into the tattoo when I was old enough to get it." Edward said nothing but nodded to himself.

"That night, with those humans, why did they call you 'Kadali'?" he inquired. I snorted humorlessly.

"It is a long lost epithet in the legend, the name the Vercrian use to call me. Literally, it means 'abomination', because, in their minds, I am unnatural, wrong. They despise me for more reason than that the legend says the Heir can wipe their kind from existence." I said. Edward picked up on the fact that I dodged the prophecy but he didn't push, thankfully.

"Why can you feed from vampires?" he asked. I shrugged again.

"I'm the first and only of my kind. So I don't know for sure. But my mother and I believe it has to do with the life force in humans. It's the reason I should and normally do drink right from the source, rather than bags of donated blood, though I can sort of survive on that if need be, as you've seen. There is a supernaturality in blood though, an essence, when the victim is alive. It is what gives us power. It is why we don't kill our victims; murder and death taints the blood."

"What is this life force?" he asked, intrigued. I couldn't help but smirk.

"To me? The individual's soul. It is what makes a person alive. Yes, the emergent properties of all organ systems keep the human body going and regulated, but, to me, the soul is what makes the person who they are, who their inner being is. Which is why all blood will taste minutely different to me. And it is why the 'better' the person, the 'purer' the person, the better the blood. So we will choose a healthy, sober individual over a drunk or diabetic, a moral person over an immoral one. But I can drink from modern vampires, I've always been able to, and I attribute it to your kind having a soul. It's the only thing that makes sense." My explanation was met with audible silence; however, I could sense the mental doubt in his head and I addressed him on it.

"You doubt me because you don't believe you have a soul," I said bluntly. His eyes widened in shock for a moment before he recovered. I shook my head, frustrated.

"If that were true, every time you told me you love me would be a lie. Because souless creatures cannot feel love, or loyalty, or any other meaningful emotion. Soulless beings have no sense of right and wrong, and your golden eyes right now disprove that statement as well. You are not soulless. I have known soulless creatures; the Vercrian are soulless. They feel nothing; their transformation is based on their lack of empathy, of compassion, of any positive feeling, and, as a result, they permanently lose that ability in their change. They relish pain and suffering; they love killing, they love torture, they love to hurt others. It gives them their power, their strength. And I will not compare you to them."

Edward was floored by my explanation and he had no response, so he continued on to the next question.

"Why can't I read your mind?" he asked and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm a superior creature; my mind is not as easily manipulated as modern vampires and humans. I, like my mother and father, are above all modern vampire gifts. Some say because my parents created all modern gifts in their creation of the original vampires, but it has more to do with strength, mentally and metaphysically. However, my mother can choose to allow modern vampires to use their powers, but only with her own desire. The same works for me; it was my mother's will that made it so you could not read my mind, yet Jasper and Alice could be affect me. My mother believed it would be acceptable to allow them to be influenced by me, because their gifts are easier to work around. But if I was fully 'human', and thus, susceptible to your mind reading abilities, then the whole idea would go out the window because you would see the truth."

"How did you both know Jasper's, Alice's, and my abilities before coming here? You said you never seen us before." I had to smile at the confusion on his face.

"My mother is the most powerful vampire in the world. She has connections, one you wouldn't be able to dream of," I teased. He smiled slightly, coming closer. I allowed him to pull me to him and I laid my head on his shoulder. It felt nice, and I allowed a small hum to resonate in my throat in contentment. He noticed.

"You're so…different. But the same too. You're enchanting," he murmured. I chuckled.

"And you're biased," I commented, my eyes still closed. He laughed.

"Yes, but even the rest of the family could see it," he added.

"Part of my charm. Part of who I am. After all, you are my natural prey just as much as humans are," I said, eyes opening, sparkling with amusement.

"Thank you," I said, my eyes slipping shut again.

"For what?"

"For this. For treating me the same as you did before," I said.

"Why would I treat you any different?"

"Because I am different, you can't deny that. But its comforting. It's nice to have the illusion that I belong somewhere, even though I'm a freak."

"You're not a freak," he insisted. I chuckled again halfheartedly.

"Oh, please, Edward. The only one to ever exist or will ever exist. Part-vampire, part-human. Not even half and half, but some unknown, ever evolving combination. The first ever vampire hybrid, one that drinks from its own kind as well as the conventional prey. The Heir of the Sanralae," I said my title as if I were talking about another person, "the being that is supposed to wipe out the Vercrian race and rid evil from the world. Because I have abilities far surpassing anything else that's ever lived on this planet. Please, Edward, you cannot honestly tell me I'm not a freak, to both the human and vampire worlds." He didn't respond at first, but I could tell he knew I was right.

"You don't need to do anything," he said firmly. I smiled.

"I know, but thanks anyway. It's still a big burden to carry, being the offspring of the two most powerful beings on the face of the Earth, though my mother minimizes it as much as possible. She understands the pressure others of our kind put on the Sanralae. And she doesn't want me to live like that. But she makes sure I understand who our family is. She did the same for Rosalie, which is why the locket says what it does. She doesn't want the title to mean anything than it originally intended, what the Sanralae originally intended to represent: power, eternality,…"

"Hope," Edward responds. I raise my eyebrow at him.

"Your birth, your existence, is hope for the vampire world. It shows that the conventional stereotypes surrounding our existence is not necessarily true. That we are more than just blood-drinking beings that are ruled by our thirst." I smiled sadly.

"Your thirst can be overcome, with time and age. As for stereotypes, well, my mother can tell you what life was like for vampires before such stories became the norm." That reminded Edward of something.

"What is your thirst like?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Not that much different than a human's hunger," I said. He was amazed.

"So much control," he murmured, amazed. I sighed, laughing again, as I shook my head.

"It has nothing to do with control. Remember there is a distinct difference between you and me. One you keep forgetting, one that my mother often forgot until she is reminded," I said. He thought about it but came up blank.

"Vampires are a part of the supernatural world, both to humans and vampires. Everything is considered beyond the normal and astounding. However, you forget that that mentality is based on the human world's definition of normality. I never existed in the human world. Every single vampire that ever lived, including my mother, started out as a human. My father and I are the only exceptions. And there is something to be said about it. My mother, especially when I was younger, was often overcome with guilt over problems we encountered as I matured; when I first had blood pains, when I was adjusting as my senses were accelerating, when I struggled to learn to ebb my blood intake. All of that, every hardship I had that related to the vampire world rather than the human world, my mother took in as her own fault. She constantly feels guilty for putting me through this life. However, she failed to realize, and now you fail to realize as well, is that this is the only life I've ever known; this is my reality. My normal is your supernatural. It is just how my life is and I have never known anything else. My mother feeling guilt for me growing up is like cows empathizing for human females because we have menstrual cycles. It's not justifiable; it's just how humans work. And everything that I've gone through is how I work, how I survive. And that is no one's fault, not my mother's, not my father's, not mine, no one's.

"On the other side of the spectrum, there are vampires that will empathize with their victims, and many—you included—wish to become human again. Why? Because you remember your human life and feel akin to your victims. But have you noticed that Alice does not feel as much resentment to her transformation as the rest of you? She doesn't remember her human life; she only yearns for it because she never knew it, and you all did. However, empathizing with human victims doesn't make much sense to me. We don't empathize with chicken or beef when humans eat it. Why? Because they've never been on the other end of the situation. I guarantee you if somehow animals could transform into humans, they would become vegans because they wouldn't be able to bear to survive off those of a species which they were a part of. The same works in the vampire-human situation. However, my father and I were never human. I am partly human, but I don't consider myself human, because I'm not. I don't consider myself fully vampire either, because I'm not. My father was never human; thus, he never had any desire to become one, not that he could. The survival on the species below in the food chain is a natural hierarchy, one that has been around since the beginning of time. The lions eat the zebra; the humans eat the cow; the vampires eat the humans. That is how it works. I am not belittling your vegetarian choice, but understand that, for my father and I, there was no conflict of interest. For us, we are the predators, and humans are our prey. It is the natural way of things."

Edward was floored, that was obvious. A brief glimpse in his thoughts showed that he had never considered this aspect of his existence, or mine. My mother really hadn't either until I explained this reasoning to her myself. Since then, her guilt has subsided greatly, though it is still there from time to time. Edward nodded, pulling me to him firmly.

"I never knew…I didn't think about it that way…" he trailed off.

"I didn't expect you to, Edward. But I hope that explains many things to you." I said. He didn't respond at first, and we just enjoyed each other's company. But his mind was still swimming with questions.

"Do you have problems with the sun?" he asked. I laughed, amused as I felt the deja vu when I was asking about vampire stereotypes.

"What makes you ask that?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Because your mother closed the curtains while you were sleeping," he didn't finish, shrugging again. My answer surprised him.

"Yes. It bothers me," I admitted. I had never admitted such information to anyone before; my mother was the only one that knew, and only because she could see it and understood it, even before I did.

"I don't burn to ash in it, nor does my skin shimmer," I said. Edward nodded; he was confused, because he has seen me out in the sun before.

"But it weakens me. No majorly, but enough that I avoid it if I can. My mother suffered a similar condition when she was very young. However, she is so ancient and experienced now that such things don't bother her, just like her thirst. When I ask her about it, she merely tells me that she just 'got over it'. And I partly understand. As I've grown up, my tolerance to it has increased, not to same degree as my mother's, but enough. She also made me go out in the sun a lot though, to build up my tolerance. However, because I've been in such a sunless place for so long, I will need to begin building myself back up to the same tolerance I had before." Edward nodded, slightly disturbed at my discomfort with the sun. I shrugged, assuring him it was no big deal. His eyes became guarded, and I heard the question in his mind a moment before he spoke it.

"Why did you say 'no' to me?" he asked. He knew that I knew what he was talking about. I sighed.

"You've already her what my mother said. All of it is true," I said. He was surprised.

"Don't act all surprised. She has access to my mind. I can't hide anything from her. Believe me, I couldn't get away with anything," I said, smiling jokingly. He returned the smile before continuing in his serious tone.

"Is it true then? That you actually said yes?" he asked. I sighed again, looking away.

"Yes, and no. The only reason I say 'no' is because…well, in your culture, acceptance by the father is required. However, my father cannot give his blessing. My mother has though. I guess part of me just wishes that I could hold out long enough that he could give you his blessing. But that is unfair to you."

Edward snaked his arm around me tightly. His eyes were shinning with emotion and he kissed my forehead gently.

"I understand, love. We don't have to get married until your father approves of me, if that's what you really want," he murmured into my hair. I laid my head on his shoulder. I felt guilty, feeling as if I was holding out on him, which I was. So I lifted my head.

"But, we can marry as it is in my culture," I said. He was taken aback slightly by my offer before he relaxed.

"I don't want to force you into it."

"You're not. As my mother said, I said yes a while. You just didn't go for it," I teased, flashing my teeth at him. He appraised me again as I teased him playfully. He smirked again, taking in my attitude.

"I guess I don't have to worry about hurting you, do I?" he asked. I shook my head, laughing.

"Nor do I have to worry about you. Remember, I was born with my strength. And I control it just as naturally as my hunger. But I will warn you that you will probably be overwhelmed," I said. He was confused.

"What do you mean?"

"My mother told you that sex is the most intimate that two vampiric beings can get, especially the ancient ones like my parents. Just as them, I have abilities that exacerbate the epxerience, and you may not be able to handle it." I said seriously, but he took it as another joke.

"I think I can handle you," he said, touching the tip of my nose with his finger lightly. I gave him an incredulous look then deliberately touched my lips to his, allowing my saliva to mix with his. It was the first we had kissed since my transformation. I felt the venom boil under his skin and his nervous system go haywire. I pulled back, a smirk on my face as he breathed heavily, his eyes wide from ecstasy and shock.

"What in the world was that?" he gasped. I laughed quietly.

"Remember in the legend how the human prey believed the vampires to be gods because they could 'determine whether to bring pain or happiness'. The direct truth of that is in our—as in, my parents' and my—saliva. There are endorphins present that can make contact either very pleasurable or very horrifying. Thus, when a victim is preyed upon, they can either feel as if they were being caressed by an angel or tortured by a devil. Such is our abilities. The same goes for kissing. My mother has often had to seduce many men, and women, in her life, and a mere brush of her lips can make a human swoon. At the soul, you are human, and, thus, no where near immune to my power.

"My mother and father's physical relationship were equal because they both possessed the same abilities in their endorphins and other biological substances. You, however, do not, and, thus, you may find yourself, for lack of a better word, choking on me."

Edward laughed, still slightly breathless.

"You've got that right," he said. I laughed in response, leaning into him again and he hugged me to his body closely. I sighed before continuing.

"One of the special things my parents do is exchange blood. It does not get more intimate than that, especially since he is her sire. I cannot give you that; my blood is volatile. No one has any idea of what it does, good or bad, and I will not test it on you." He picked up on the fear in my voice and he stared down at me in confusion. He saw the genuine fear in my eyes, the horror at the idea of my own blood. The substance was powerful, that was undeniable. My saliva alone was capable of things even my mother's blood wasn't able to accomplish, and blood is much more potent and close to the person's inner self than their saliva. We fear to examine it further, fearing the power—both astounding and fear-inducing—that we might find. Edward saw this in my expression and he nodded, holding me closer.

"But can you drink from me?" he asked, changing the subject slightly. I nodded.

"Yes, but I wouldn't take much since he are not getting anything from me," I said. He nodded, slightly disheartened that he would be able to feel the endorphins of my saliva in the natural way.

"But," I continued, and he looked up, curious to my tone, "I can give you something more." And, gently, carefully, I opened up. My mind unleashed itself on his. His body froze in shock but I allowed my mind to fill him with warmth and he responded. Our minds were two separate that merged together, united as one. Every thought was shared, every memory each other's. He saw my memories, of my growing up, my mother, my life up until I came to Forks. He saw my first memories as a pseudo human, meeting him, and loving him immediately, then rejected by him at the same moment. The memories flowed, unstopping, going through everything, from our first meeting up until this moment. The memories of him leaving me were there and my body slightly buckled from the force, but this time, Edward was there to hold me upright. In reciprocation, he showed me fine, offering his memories willingly. Though I was able to scan his mind as I wished, I chose not to, for my mother had taught me that such acts, especially to a loved one, was rude and an invasion of privacy. But I was seeing it all now, free to look upon my mate's memories first hand. And I saw his love for me, just he saw my love for him. And as our memories flowed, our bodies moved, out of the water into the warmth of the apartment, to the bedroom. Our minds connected, our bodies followed, mental and physically union, and me made love until the sun peeked over the horizon.

* * *

 **Sorry this took forever! I need a spring break and midterms have been hell but I'm back! :)**

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 **~Melinda :)**


	19. Family Tree

Chapter 19: Family Tree

The sun was rising. My fingers were intertwined with Edward's, as were our legs in the sheets. Naked to the bone, I lay on his chest, neither of us speaking. His lips grazed my ear and I smiled as he nibbled there slightly.

"Careful," I warned, "My mother will kill you if she finds a mark on me. She gave us this much; I don't know how much more she is willing to relinquish." Edward chuckled gently but pulled back. I sighed, sitting up, the sheets falling to my lap to reveal my topless torso. I turned back toward him; he was staring at me and I couldn't help a small smirk before my expression calmed.

"We need to go. My mother wishes to talk to all of you," I said nonchalantly, pushing the sheets aside to get up. His arm snaked around me and I allowed him to pull me back to him, his lips going to my breastbone.

"Do we have to?" He asked, almost like a moan, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes. She is going to tell you the full story," I said. He looked up, curious.

"Everything?" I nodded at his question. He debated, then kissed my neck once more before pulling us both up.

* * *

The odd scents stopped me in my tracks upon arrival at the Cullen house. I froze, my newly regained senses spanning out. There were two people, and they were very strange, for I recognized them but had not inhaled the scents in what seemed like a long time. I cocked my head to the side as I retraced my memory, trying to pinpoint where I had smelled them before. Edward was besides me, watching me carefully as I took it in. He could smell the newcomers as well, and was disturbed by my reaction. My curiosity and wariness were calmed a moment later, when they came out onto the front porch from inside the house, my mother besides them. My eyes flicked from her to them and stayed on them, untrusting. The first was a woman, physically in her thirties, her hair so dark it was almost black, with kind brown eyes. The other was a young man, in his very early twenties. His hair was sleek, platinum blonde and his eyes were a warm grey. They stared at me, their eyes wide and I felt the urge to peek into their minds, not only from their expressions but also from the nagging feeling that I knew them (though that was apparently obvious as my mother was calm, and she's never allowed outsiders near me). Out of habit, I glanced at my mother and she nodded at me in approval, her eyes slightly bemused as she watched. Confused, I delved into their minds.

I did not have to go very far, their minds were screaming at me from within and my mind suddenly remembered where I recognized their scents. Flashbacks of water splashing, the sun burning down on us, my mother holding me up on her hip. Wearing bathing suits, sunglasses, laughing freely, the happiness and carefree joy I felt. It clicked and two names came to me.

"Amba, Eliah," I murmured to them, looking first to the woman, then the man. They smiled at my voice, their eyes no longer shocked, but more awed and nervous. The young man was Eli, a close friend of my mother's, her human comrade. My mother had met him when he was only 16 and they formed a deep relationship, and she had entrusted him with what and who she was. My mother's fondness of him caused her to allow him to come with her, to live with her. And she often went to him for advice, the only person that knew the whole story without being born on one side or the other. He was the one that helped figure out how to reverse her vampirism. The woman, on the other hand, was, in fact, my grandmother, my father's mother. The mother of the first vampire. She had stayed with my mother and father just as Eli had. I had called her 'Ambana', meaning grandmother in our language, but hr name was Udara. Both she and Eli had stayed with my mother after my father disappeared. They had left when I was about a year old; my mother had forced them to leave, fearing for their lives and mine.

We had not seen each other for 17 years, but the love that followed in the space between us was undeniable. Still, I was still wary of them, my natural instincts to be alert and careful around strangers, whether they were family or not. My mother sensed my uneasiness and came to me in an instant. Standing behind me, she gave me a little push forward, her hands on my shoulders. Almost as if I was a toddler again, she nudged me towards them. I obeyed but my instincts were still protesting. We were now a mere foot from them and I watched as Udara lifted her hand to me slowly. She brushed my cheekbone lightly and I shifted slightly from the familiarity of it. Her other arm lifted and she made to hug me and I allowed it as my mother gave me another small nudge. Upon our embrace, my memories starting running wild, my mother gently coaxing them from my subconsciousness, allowing me to know Udara again. I remembered her holding me, changing me, feeding me, playing with me. She dotted on me since I was born, her only grandchild. As I felt these memories, I reached out into her mind, allowing her to see them too, to let her know I knew her. She inhaled slightly in emotion and her eyes were filled with unshed tears and she hugged me tighter. I reciprocated, burying my face into her shoulder. She was surprised by my strength, as it had not been this extreme when I was an infant, but she was pleased nonetheless. She let me go after a long time and transferred me to Eli.

His embrace was just as firm but he had no fear of hurting me. After squeezing me for a moment, he reached down and locked his fingers underneath my legs, lifting me up and swinging me around, holding me up like a toddler. I gasped and giggled slightly in surprise, holding onto his shoulders for support.

"I'm surprised you can still do this," I commented jokingly. His eyebrow arched.

"Why? Because you're so much bigger, or because I'm so much weaker?" he asked. I snorted.

"Both," I admitted. He laughed, as did Udara and my mother. Eli let me down and I adjusted my shirt.

"He is right, though. It was much easier to do when you were younger," my mother said as she passed me, making toward the house. I followed, Edward, Udara, and Eli right behind me. The Cullens had watched the exchanges silently and followed all of us into the house. I could tell that they all knew why they were here, my mother's mannerisms speaking for themselves. She sat in the middle of the large cream sectional in the living room; I sat next to her, followed by Udara and Eli. We faced the Cullens and they settled around us, waiting for my mother to start. She wasted no time.

"I was born in 10,387 B.C along the Indian Ocean in present day Indonesia. Life was simple back then, much simpler than life now, vampire or otherwise. My father was a well-respected man in the village and many people went to him for advice. He loved me dearly, though he did not know how to show his affection to me or my sister, Gauri. I was called Nila, after my strikingly blue eyes.

"It was when I was 15 years old that trouble began in the village. Disease had struck the people and many were dying and becoming ill. People were scared and they went to my father for help. He was at a loss but, wanting to appear wise, said he knew a ritual that would please the gods and cure our village of the disease. People believed him, though I was skeptical. I asked him to allow me to watch but he refused, saying children would be unable to witness what he would do. He knew of my shrewdness and was wary of it. Regardless, I stowed away that night and found where the ritual was being performed. Initially, I thought the ritual odd and pointless. My father danced around a fire with the some of the others from the village cheering and saying some chant I had never heard before. It did not sound pleasant to the ears though. My father threw spices and rocks and other things into the fire, which grew with the added materials. Eventually, it was at least six feet high, upon which my father ceased dancing around it and joined in the other's chants. Their voices got louder and louder and I had to cover my ears from the noise.

"Suddenly, something happened to the sky.

"Dark clouds were revolving over the fire, high above the sky. The stars looked to be burning brighter than before. The clouds circled faster and faster, coming out of the sky and touching the tip of the fire's flames. There was a loud explosion and everyone, including me, fell to the ground. When I recovered enough from the blast to look back toward the fire, it was gone, nothing but ash and a few sparks left.

"But something lay in its place.

"My father, the fool that he was, approached it. It moved and I saw the reptilian body of a large black python. Its skin was black, shiny, and magnificent, for such a creature. Its eyes were red, though, glowing red, as dark and fiery as the flames of the fire it had been born out of. It looked at my father and it almost seemed to smile, which made it that much more menacing. My father's features formed a mask of terror but that was all he could do before the creature struck. My father screamed once, and it cut off in a gurgle. People screamed as the snake clamped down on my father's body, but rather than enveloping and swallowing it, it hissed once and moved its head to the neck vein. We watched as blood ran over the wounds and it sucked my father dry of his blood. I was frozen, as was everyone else. When the creature was done, it looked at all people around it. Its eyes scanned us and they seemed to rest on me for a moment longer, though I did not comprehend that it could see me in the bushes where I hid, out of sight. It hissed once more and then slithered into the underbrush, as black as the night. We fled the site, unnerved by the beast and not wanting to be its next victim.

"The people who were at the ritual never spoke a word of the story to the remaining members of the village. My father was deemed to have gone out hunting and to have never come back. My sister and I were old enough to care for ourselves, our mother being dead since we were babies. Gauri and I shared our hut together until she got married at eighteen. I remained in the hut afterward, caring for myself."

At this point, my mother stopped and looked toward Udara, who took over.

"I knew Nila from the village. I was the older than her by six years, and I had gotten pregnant around the same time as the ritual. I had not been present for it, but Nila had never told me about it. She and I were good friends, despite our difference in age. There was a time when she and I were walking along the beach at dusk, justing talking and enjoying each other's company. Then I felt a sharp pain at my ankle. I looked down and saw a huge black snake at my feet, staring up at me with bright red eyes."

The Cullens inhaled sharply in response but Udara ignored it.

"Nila's reaction was much quicker than mine. She took the torch she held in her hand and threw it at the snake, upon which it burned to a cinder. She was fearful, and I didn't understand why at the time. It was then she told me the story of what happened. I was not as bothered as she was, perhaps because I had not seen it up close and thought of it as a gift from the gods. Regardless , I didn't give it much thought until I delivered the baby."

"You nearly bled out, so yes, it would make sense to perhaps think about that," my mother said sarcastically and Udara smiled slightly in response.

"When he was first born, Zakali acted no more than any other human infant. I did not see anything in him until I noticed he was growing much faster than was possible. He was full grown in a mere seven years. I did not find out until later that by the time he was the physical age of ten did he stow away at night to feed off the other villagers. He never hurt them; he always did enough so they stayed asleep while he had his fill."

"At this point, the village had seen that he was not normal, and they shunned him," my mother said, "The people from the ritual finally admitted to the acts that occurred and called him the human reincarnation of the demon python, come to kill us all and punish us at the hand of the gods. Udara was captured and taken from the village, and I was the only one left. I had stayed away once he was born, because I was still bothered by the snake's bite and the odd sensation I had around him, both positive and negative. The negative was natural fear, but the positive, I would find out later, was from the mating connection between us. Regardless, I left Udara and Zakali to themselves. However, once the village turned on him, he had no one. Though he knew he had the strength to overpower them, I could see in his eyes he was scared, of what he could do, and, thus, he took the torture from the villagers. It was horrifying to watch and I finally got involved. They accused me of being his comrade in his master plan to destroy the village and they turned on me. I didn't try to defend myself, but I ended up not needing to. Zakali fought them off, using his abilities more so than ever before. After they had been scared away, he wouldn't come close to me, too afraid to hurt me. I persisted and we both went to the shore; well, he went to the shore and I followed him there. He allowed me to be close enough to talk.

"He told me everything he could about himself: he didn't know what was wrong with him. He knew he was stronger, faster than the rest of the village; he could hear the mentalities of the people around him and even sometimes force his will on them, when he wanted. He also told me about his craving for blood, how it strengthened him, more so than regular food. At the time, I felt as if I were in one of our stories, about the gods and such, and I told him as much. He had laughed, saying he doubted the gods even existed. I scolded him for that, but he told me I would understand if I could see what he saw, through his eyes, which were much better than mine. The things he explained to me, about how there were little moving things in the ocean, now called microorganisms, and how there were tiny holes in your skin, and all other things that we all know now but couldn't comprehend back then. It was absolutely crazy, but mostly intriguing. And, in talking to him, I could see him watching me with the same amount of fascination as I was giving him, though I was ordinary in comparison. But he asked me questions, about being 'different' from him, and I answered questions I never thought I would have to. We spoke all night and day, and, upon finally falling asleep from exhaustion, I knew I had fallen in love that night. We both had."

My mother's eyes and mind were far away; she hadn't thought of that night in a while.

"We never returned to the village. We stayed away, in our own world. Eventually, he asked me if he could make me his, the equivalent of proposing to me in today's world. I agreed, and we made love, solidifying ourselves as a single soul, as the village called. I became his and he became mine, two hearts but one beat. After many weeks of living just the two of us, he came to me one day asking if I wanted to be like him. He told me he knew how, that he had seen it in a dream. I loved him, and I told him so, and I wanted to be like him. And so, that was that. He changed me, and I became like him, a vampire."

"How?" Carlisle asked, intrigued. My mother took my hand where I had been playing with her fingers while she told the story and held out my arm and hers, extending them out straight.

"Exchanging our blood. First, the vampire opens the human's vein and drinks from them. And then the vampire opens their own vein, one which goes directly to the heart. The two veins would be pressed together, creating one continuous flow. The blood of the vampire is pumped into the human and vice versa, which brings about the change. It took about a night for it to complete, in which my body was overrun with the new blood and I had to rest for most of it. It was somewhat similar to Ila's transformation back, with the increased respiratory and heart rates. Not painful, per se, but odd to feel your body change that way. When I awoke, I understood what he meant by seeing what he saw, and everything he had told me was true. I was faster, stronger, better. And I felt equal to him. We were the same, and he didn't have to worry about me being weaker than him. A few years later, Zakali found Udara and had given her a few drops of his blood, stunting her aging. She stayed with us for a while after I had turned, but not for long, not after what happened."

My mother took a deep breath before continuing. I felt uneasy as I knew the next part that was coming. I resituated myself besides her and she sat cross legged as I laid my head on her thigh, snuggling into her. Her hands ran through my hair as she spoke.

"We created more vampires, but not by the way Zakali had made me. We used our venom rather than our blood, and the vampires that were created were the first of the modern kind, with granite-like skin, pale complexions, and icy body temperature. As the stories say, our coven was content, satisfied. But one went too far. His name was Calix and he was the first Vercrian. He had always been envious, both of the power we possessed and the relationships between Zakali and I. He had not found his mate, though we assured him if he did find her, we would change her if it were her wish. He was jealous and sought control over the coven. Zakali and I were away at the time, and we couldn't get back in time to save the others. So we fled. Vampires are predators; we never run. But we did, because there was no way we could overpower him, not when we had no idea what he had become or what his capabilities were. But Zakali and I ordered the others to flee and hide and we turned back. Killing him was not simple, mostly because he was an unknown creature to us but also because we could see the boy we were attached to. But he was no longer there. The meaning behind the name 'Vercrian' is literally 'soulless', because the Vercrian give up their morality and ethics when they transform, and it was no longer Calix. Right before he died, we found he had made more, from humans, and after finishing him off, we went with the remaining members of the coven and destroyed them one by one. By the end, there were only eleven of them and us. The damage was done.

"We ordered the coven to disband, to never interact with each other again. It was the only time both me and Zakali used our mental abilities to force our will on them. We ordered them to reproduce, to increase their numbers, so we could never be so easily wiped out again. And, to this day, all vampires follow those orders, by making more of us and increasing our presence across the globe. Later on, the Salarian Order was formed. Zakali and I originally refused it, but after a while, we knew that we needed all the help we could get to try and contain the Vercrian."

"The Salarian Order?" Emmett asked and my mother nodded.

"Yes, the order you heard about in the legends, the one that is meant to protect the Sanralae. The name didn't come around until much later, and sounds much Americanized now," she said, "Cylis is an example of them." She gestured to where the bird perched precariously on the branch outside the mansion, its orange head nodding ever so slightly.

"You had one of the people in the Order watch over me?" Rosalie asked. My mother smiled.

"You are a part of the Sanralae, whether everyone else knows that or not," she replied.

"Nila?" Jasper asked. She turned toward him and both of us were pleasantly surprised that he was comfortable calling her by her name.

"How are Vercrian created?" He asked. Udara, Eli, and I all froze at the question but my mother was expecting the question, and her answer surprised us.

"You understand my telling you all these things is a merit to your acceptance into this family. As Edward is Ila's mate and Rosalie is my human descendant, all of you are now considered a part of the Sanralae family line." Her words shocked them, but she continued without commenting on their expressions. "You have the highest rank, but with it comes the greatest responsibility. My story, my abilities, Ila's abilities, all of these things are for the most exclusive ears only. None of this can ever be repeated to another soul. This stays in this circle alone." My mother's voice was grave, completely serious, and the Cullens saw that. They nodded, grasping the seriousness of the information they had been given. My mother nodded too, then took a deep inhale before answering.

"The Vercrian can only be created one way. A vampire must kill another vampire by drinking their venom. If the person is human, then they must drink from another human, killing them."

The Cullens' insides twisted at the thought and my mother nodded at their internal reaction.

"I know. The very idea is sickening. It is unnatural, the reversal of hierarchy, which is why it makes them so unnatural. The open choice to take another person's life that is equal to your own is the very blackest form of blasphemy, which is why, in making and following through on that decision, causes the Vercrian to lose all positive and good emotions and thoughts. They become as black and evil as their choice to change, and every choice after that. Calix was the reason one of our first laws ever came into effect, though you all probably won't know it." The Cullens thought about it for a while before they came up blank.

"One of the laws Zakali and I agreed on was that, should one mated vampire die, the other will be too. After Calix, a few vampires were left without mates and, at first, they tried to work through it, for us. But eventually, they came to us, begging to die. They appreciated the lives we had given them but it was not worth the agony without their love. We understood-our mental abilities made that certain-and we granted their wish; it was the merciful thing to do. Killing only one mate has never been tolerated by us; it is too traumatizing to the surviving mate. Only one group has ever broken that law, other than the Vercrian." My mother said, her voice tightening slightly.

"The Volturi," Edward said and my mother nodded in affirmation.

"We kept them in their faux power because it was easier on us. But they are annoying to have to police. Every couple of centuries, we sent someone there to put them back line, but they fall out of it quicker and quicker every time. They've gotten cocky in their age, and I have been debating about paying a visit myself. But my identity cannot be compromised, unfortunately. So we can't do anything. Ultimately, if only one mate dies, the other will find a way to end his or her life short after. A sad ultimatum, but effective regardless." It was silent then, as the Cullens sorted through the information.

"How was she able to kill the Vercrian we saw when she was so weak?" Edward asked quietly. My eyes had slipped shut during the story telling and they believed me to be dozing off or asleep.

"Vercrians, like vampires such as Zakali and I, gain strength with time. So the younger they are, the weaker they are. The one you saw was only a few weeks old, at most. The deathly wound to his heart and the combination of her venom was enough to kill him. But she also got lucky."

"Her venom is that powerful?" Carlisle asked, stunned. My mother laughed slightly as Eli snorted.

"You could say that," Eli commented and I fought the urge to giggle.

"Back to the story: fast forward twelve thousand years, Eli, Zakali, and I were pouring over old vampire records, details of various things vampires had observed about the race over the past several centuries. We found the journal of a vampire that had a gift in understanding what he couldn't comprehend, if that makes sense, coming up with stuff like modern day vaccines and medications in the early half of the 1600's. No one ever listened to his, at the time, ridiculous ideas; even though there were vampires, they still lived in a human world. He had scribbled something about changing forms, and, upon looking closer, it looked like a formula to reverse vampirism. I was excited at the prospect; Zakali was not, and he discouraged me and Eli from pursuing it. He didn't see it, and only when I almost broke down in front of him did he understand."

My mother inhaled again before pushing forward.

"I had never regretted my decision to become a vampire, except in one prospect."

"You wanted to have a child," Esme said. My mother smiled sadly and nodded.

"It's not really something that can be explained. Since I was created, I knew I could not bear children. But being a mother was always something I wanted, and when Zakali realized that that was the purpose behind my desire to become human again, he supported me. Eli helped me perfect the formula and we tried it, and it worked."

"How did you do it?"

* * *

 **Hi guys! Sorry it's been over a month! Hope you guys haven't abandoned me! :'( School has been crazy but it's almost over! Yay! More chapters!**

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	20. Coven

Chapter 20: Coven

My mother looked toward Rosalie and Esme at their mental and verbal questions.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I wish I could tell you what I did and have it work, but it won't. The process requires DNA in the form of blood, and modern day vampires do not have blood, only venom. And it doesn't work with venom. I'm sorry, but it's not possible." Esme and Rosalie nodded, their faces crestfallen but sadly accepting. My mother continued.

"I didn't get pregnant to fulfill the prophecy. As Esme and Rosalie just said, I just wanted a baby. And Zakali did too. When he found out, he was ecstatic."

"We all were," Udara said, smiling down at me. My mother nodded her head slightly, her fingers traveling behind my ear.

"We honestly didn't believe it actually worked. It wasn't until I began showing did it come through," she said. "The greatest gift in life is the ability to give it; and, in Ila's birth, I had become capable of both.

"My pregnancy was similar to a normal human's. Morning sickness, back cramps, cravings, everything. I should have been surprised; I was human again after all. She was early by about a week, but she was fine, better than fine. Perfect, in fact. Absolutely perfect," my mother trailed off and I felt a familiar swell of love for me in her mind and I allowed myself to be washed with it again.

"But you didn't stay human," Rosalie stated. It sounded more of an accusation than a question or statement and everyone knew it. My mother met her gaze evenly.

"No. I didn't. And I don't regret it," she said firmly. The Cullens' eyebrows raised in speculation.

"You do not believe me but you haven't thought about my side of the story. When Zakali left us, we were powerless. We were powerless before he left, even. I was human again, weak and, thus, a easy target. When Ila was born, I couldn't allow us to be defenseless. The first instinct a mother has is to protect her child, whatever way possible. And I knew there was only one way for me to protect Ila as only I knew how. And that was becoming a vampire again. So I reversed the transformation."

"And now you know know that being human sucks," Eli commented dryly. My mother chuckled lightly.

"You can't say that because you don't know any other way," she replied.

"Maybe, but then again you never let me know anything else. But you can fix that."

"I am not changing you."

"Being a vampire is better than being human."

"Does anyone else feel like deja vu?" Emmett asked, his eyes feigning astonishment and curiosity. The Cullens laughed, including Edward, as they remembered the arguments he and I had about my supposed change.

"All those arguments, and they were nothing but a show. She's a better actress than I thought," Edward said, shaking his head indulgently at me.

"She learned from the best," Eli said, gesturing toward my mother.

"Flatter me all you want. It's not happening."

"Why not?"

"You would be a pain in the ass as a vampire. And you've already stopped aging so you cannot give me that excuse anymore," my mother said. The Cullens were curious again and Eli answered their unspoken question.

"The first time I held Ila was the morning after she was born. She bit me, right here," he said, showing the crease of his left elbow, "Her venom stunted my growth, and my aging process, ever since."

The Cullens were fascinated, to say the least, awed by my venom's abilities.

"That's amazing. The entire story is absolutely incredible," Carlisle said.

"But a lot of the story would have been easier if you were't in hiding. Your mate wouldn't have had to leave and the Order could have helped protect you. So why don't you reveal yourselves to the vampire world? It would do much more to help if you weren't in hiding through all this time," Jasper said, looking toward my mother.

"You forget, Jasper. The Sanralae were the culprit behind the Vercrian's attacks. Yes, the Vercrian still live today, and the Order works as hard as possible to eliminate them one by one and to protect us; we trained them to do that, even though it's not very effective in the long run. Recall that it took a lot for both me and Zakali and our coven to take down the Vercrian, and there weren't even that many. Now, there are many more of them and we cannot handle them all. So our only option is to take them out one by one; not very effective but what else can we do? Regardless, the fact that no one, including the Vercrian, know where the Sanralae are, what they look like, or who they are connected to, is the reason that the Vercrian have not come out of hiding and we have stayed alive for so long. Our anonymity allows us all to survive; no matter how much I wish I could defend my kind against the Vercrian, I cannot do everything."

"But you are the rulers, the natural leaders of our kind. How can you allow groups like the Volturi rule us and sit back and watch your kind get slaughtered by your enemies?" Jasper asked. Alice put a hand on his shoulder, trying to tell him to back off but he refused, waiting for my mother's answer. Her expression was calm, controlled. She had this argument before, with herself.

"I never asked for my title. Neither did my mate, and neither did my daughter. The original purpose of the Sanralae was to guide those of our kind to be better than themselves, to overcome and control their nature as well as to care for one another as a family. The Sanralae was meant to represent connection, loyalty through shared venom. Now, because of what happened, the Sanralae is considered divine, mysterious, characteristics Zakali and I never intended. But it is something we accepted long ago. But my family comes before my kind, whether I created them all or not.

"We dealt with everything that has happened for the vampire race, ranging from Calix's massacre of my coven all the way to the ever-changing stereotypes surrounding them, from being treated like gods to now being treated like the poster children for the goth population."

"Don't forget Halloween," I said, stretching as I pulled myself out of the stupor of near sleep that I had been in throughout this discussion. My mother laughed lightly as she continued to play with my hair.

"Halloween is a bit more accurate, though," she replied.

"Yes, because you all are so sloppy with blood dripping from the corners of your mouth and flashing your fangs," Eli joked, with another round of laughter. I turned on my back to look back at him.

"And always someone else dressed up as the victim. And always a blonde lanky guy too," I snickered back, flashing my teeth at him.

"What are you trying to say?" he asked, his expression challenging and amused.

"I'm saying that you do better as a midnight snack than an accessory. You're like a Chihuahua Mom carries around in her purse," I replied, giggling. Eli raised an eyebrow.

"Youngster," he called me.

"Old man," I shot back.

"Blood sucker."

"Blood bitch."

"Hey, enough, both of you," my mother cut us off sternly, her eyebrows appraising both of us with slight shock but also bemusement. I hissed playfully at Eli, baring my teeth slightly but obeying her.

"He started it," I said.

"I'm ending it."

"Very cliche answer, Mom," I commented.

"Hush," she said to me, tickling me gently while I tried to squirm away. She looked up though at Eli trying to hide his laughter.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I just think it's hilarious, that's all," he replied.

"What is?"

"Please, Nila. You've lived 12,000 years and even your own mate couldn't contain you. And yet you crumble when it comes to your 18 year-old." Eli guffawed again and Udara couldn't help a small smirk. My mother raised her eyebrows.

"I'm Mommy's little angel. I can do no wrong," I said jokingly. They all laughed.

"I wouldn't say that. Starving yourself, for example," my mother replied, her eyebrow raised appraisingly on me. I blushed in embarrassment and went back to resting on her lap.

"The irony of the situation," Eli muttered through another snort.

"Irony?" my mother turned to him.

"Don't tell me you don't see it. She is your daughter," Eli said to my mother.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she replied, an eyebrow raised.

"She is a mini you. And I don't know if the world could handle another one," Eli said, teasing her. My mother pursed her lips at him, trying to decide whether to punch him or let it go. I was giggling and Udara was fighting a laugh.

"She is definitely a lot like you, Nila," Udara agreed, "It's almost scary how similar you two are."

"Only 'almost'?" Eli asked, which got him a slap on the back of the head by her.

My mother debated and shrugged and I cuddled closer to her. The Cullens watched the family banter with curiosity and amusement, entertained by the playful bickering. But everything was cut short as there was a shrill cry. Our heads swiveled as the black eagle swooped down from the sky and into the living room. My mother was immediately on her feet as Cylis shifted to his human form. Once I saw his eyes, I stood too, confused and nervous about the look in their depths. His yellow eyes were haunted, horrified.

"What is it, Cylis?" my mother asked, her voice demanding, all business.

"It's…it's Rylin, Ralae," he replied. My mother jolted every so slightly before taking a step closer. Everyone else, especially Udara and I, were on the edge of our seats as we waited anxiously. His eyes were pained as he responded.

"He's dead, Ralae. Zakali is dead."

* * *

 **Hehehe I'm evil :)**

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 **~Melinda :)**


	21. Belief

Chapter 21: Belief

"No," I said following the beat of silence after Cylis' declaration. "N-no, that's not true. It's not." My voice continued rambling, my eyes locked on Cylis' crumbled expression. My mother turned to me, reaching out to grip my arms, trying to get me to calm down.

"Ila," she began but I cut off, pulling away from her sharply.

"No," I insisted. She, as well as everyone, stared at me in shock. I had never done that to her; I had never refused her or not listened to her. I shook my head, losing my voice as I pivoted and ran. I didn't care where I went. I just ran.

* * *

I found myself at the outcropping of rocks along a ragged cliff edge. I finally sat, my breathing evening from the run. I was far from Forks; I could see the whole of Mount Rainier easily to the south. I curled in on myself, my knees pulled in to my chest, my chin resting on top. A river flowed several stories beneath me, and I focused on the sprinkles of rushing water as they flowed with the current and over the waterfall half a mile down. I didn't know how long I sat there, forcing myself to think of nothing but the water, but I was pulled out of my reverie when I heard footsteps. I glanced back to see my mother standing there, watching me from the edge of the woods that she had come out of from following me here. I turned away from her, not willing to face her after my actions against her. I was too ashamed to go to her and sob into her shoulder, as much as I wanted to. So I kept my position. She sighed sadly, coming to me and sitting cross-legged besides me. We didn't speak for a few moments.

" _I'm sorry, Mother_ ," I whispered, my voice cracking as I fought unshed tears. She turned her head to me, and I could sense from her mind that she wanted to take me in her arms, but knowing that it was a bad idea.

" _There's nothing to apologize for, darling,_ " she replied softly. I shook my head.

" _I should not have done that_ ," I protested.

" _You're scared. It's not your fault_ ," she said.

" _I shouldn't be. I need to be strong,_ "

" _Why do you think that?_ " Her question surprised me and I couldn't help but look at her, my eyebrows furrowed.

" _We can't survive without being strong. You're always strong. You don't let yourself be overcome with fear. You can't_ ," I replied. She sighed again, but there was a small smile on her face as she shook her head.

" _I'm scared a lot, Ila. More so than you ever could comprehend_ ," she said. I raised my eyebrows, disbelieving,

" _I was scared when I came back and saw you in the state you were in. I was scared when I chose to leave you here. I was scared when I found out I was pregnant with you. I was even scared when I agreed to your father changing me. I've been scared a lot of times. It's okay to be scared at certain times. And this is one of those times, Ila. For both of us."_

" _Are you scared now?"_ I asked. She hesitated slightly before she nodded. I looked down as I processed that. I released my knees and let them turn so I facing her. She opened her arm for me, and I allowed her to wrap her arms around me, pressing me to her. We needed to hold onto each other. We needed to hold each other together, just to get through this.

" _He's not really dead, is he, Mother?_ " I asked, immediately regretting it as I mentally felt my mother's heart clench at the question.

" _I don't believe so, Ila. But I honestly do not know for sure,_ " she replied. I nodded at her honesty.

" _I believe if it was true, we would have felt something. Or at least you would. You would know if Father was dead. I believe that's how I knew Edward wasn't dead, when Alice and I were flying to Italy. I believed I would feel it in my heart if he died._ " I admitted, sounding cliche as I said it. I felt my mother smile slightly.

" _That's what I believe too, sweetheart_ ," she agreed. We sat there for a moment, not speaking.

" _Do you believe in God, Mother?_ " I asked suddenly. She was surprised; I had never asked her anything like this before. She shrugged around me.

" _Sometimes. During my life, I have met people who I would have like to believe they were God, people so wonderful that I can't even describe it. Many people believed Jesus, or Muhammad, or Krishna was God. No one has any proof they walked the earth or that they ever existed at all, but what does it matter_ _if_ _they existed when the most important part is the message they left behind?_

 _"_ _Children are told the stories of Santa Claus and then later on are told he isn't real. That's not entirely true. Santa Claus existed; he was Nicholas and he did bring toys and goodies to the children. Now, he is called Santa, or Father Christmas, or a number of other names. He did live in this world, and now his message lives on in the annual gift giving season. I believe God works in the same way. The world has always debated and argued over the existence of God, but does it really matter? I don't think so. Jesus, Muhammad, and Krishna all taught the same basic message: love, forgiveness, peace. And that message has stayed alive throughout time. Maybe God exists, maybe he doesn't. No one alive really knows. But passing on that message allows us to procreate, to grow, and to allow our morality, our humanity, our goodness you can call it, to stay alive. That's all that matters._ "

I had never heard her speak so vehemently about the subject, though we have never really gone into it. I was speechless and she allowed me time to process what she said.

" _I believed in God when you were born, and since then I am much more open to the whole idea. When you were born, I felt that there was an invisible force that gave me some happiness after an eternity of struggle and hiding, even if it was with my soulmate,_ " she added. I looked up at her before blushing and she smiled down at me, giving me that smile she always did when she thought about how amazing my birth was and all that. It embarrassed me, because she would almost praise me when I didn't really do anything for it. I ducked my head under her chin and hugged her tighter. She reciprocated; she was the only one whose strength overpowered mine.

" _I think you're right, Ila. I believe he is alive_ ," she told me. I nodded at her words; part of me believed myself but part of me feared how much of it was based on solely emotion. I made to get up and she followed me. I stretched from staying in that position for so long before taking off running, my mother even with me.

* * *

The house was alight with activity when we arrived. We were on edge as we saw that the steel shutters had been brought down over the walls and windows. Both of us confused and alert, we looked toward the multiple new cars parked in the Cullens' driveway. A couple were unfamiliar but some I recognized immediately as the black Camaro's that the Order used. We sprinted to the porch, entering the house quickly. Everyone was there, and we took in the newcomers. Several Order members stood in at the perimeter of the room, the silver embossed logo on the top left corner of their all black uniforms, and my fear began to escalate. Most of the time, they wore clothing to blend in with the fashion styles around them; these uniforms were only worn for emergencies, ones where they needed to band together and did not worry about conspicuousness.

In the center with the Cullens, two vampires stood before us, a male and a female. Their golden hued eyes revealed that they were in fact the Denali coven, the distant 'cousins' of the Cullens who shared their vegetarian diet. But I was confused. Edward had told me there were more. The male—Elezear, from what I got from his mind—was arguing with Carlisle when we entered. They all turned to me and my mother as we entered. Edward came to me, his eyes concerned. I assured him mentally that I was ok, a trick we had learned during the night. His mind reading capabilities paired with my mental power allowed for easy two-way connection between us.

"What happened?" My mother demanded, looking at the Order members around us.

"More Vercrian attacks, Ralae. Up north, in Alaska," one said.

"How many?" she questioned.

"Thirteen humans and three vampires dead," he responded, his voice terse but hinting at the grief. My stomach dropped and I looked at Edward for confirmation. He nodded, his eyes angry and grief-stricken. I squeezed my hand around his forearm, giving as much comfort as I physically could. I looked at the rest of the Cullens; most were shocked and angry, but Esme and Alice looked to be on the verge of tears. Rosalie was angered and she looked to my mother, who had picked up on the situation.

"We must move quickly. How many were there?" she asked.

"Three. We were able to get two of them, but the last one escaped. We apologize, Ralae," another said and they all bowed their heads in shame. My mother waved it off.

"That doesn't matter now," she assured them, though her voice was tight and her eyes kept flicking to me.

"Excuse me, but could you tell me what is going on?" the woman asked, her golden eyes flashing with emotion. I looked toward her and let myself into her mind. I pulled back out immediately, shocked and shaken. I looked at Edward again and he didn't bother with a verbal response. The look in his eyes was enough.

"What?" Kate demanded.

* * *

 **Sorry this was short guys but there will be more soon!**

 **Sorry for all the God talk, guys, but it was indicative of the story!**

 **BTW, this Neverland is almost over; there will be a few more chapters, not sure how many exactly :$**

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	22. Attacks

Chapter 22: Attacks

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They were dead. Eleazar's mate and Kate's sisters. They were dead. Murdered by the Vercrian. The Denali coven has been ripped apart. And it was obvious in the remaining members' behaviors. They outwardly acted fine, but the slightly jerking movements of their limbs hinted otherwise. Elezear and Kate were shocked to say the least at the news; my mother allowed the Cullens to explain the situation only to the means necessary. They kept glancing at both me and my mother, but I ignored them. I wandered over to the Order members, to the familiar face I had spotted when I entered.

"Hey, you," I said to the young man standing not far from my mother, who was speaking urgently to the leader of the squadron. The boy, Davian, grinned back at me in response.

"Hey, there. Haven't seen you in a while," he replied. I grinned back. Davian was a good friend of mine from when I was younger. He was the one person on Earth besides Cylis and my mother that had known I existed. Though my mother wanted to keep the vampire world as ignorant as possible of my life, she needed to trust at least one person to the secret, and Davian was it. Cylis only knew once I had moved here and he was put in charge of both Rosalie and me during my time here. Davian was brought to where ever my mother and I were staying and given updates on me by my mother; he was the only outsider than knew my entire physiological and mental capabilities.

We chatted for a while, about various things, until I began to feel a small pinch in my head. I twitched slightly, uncomfortable, and I saw my mother glance at me from the corner of her peripheral vision. I mentally assured her I was fine, but the pain didn't go away. Suddenly, it escalated and overcame me. Gasping, my vision disappeared and my eyes blurred. The problem was, thought, that the blur wasn't from the scene in front of me. The blobs of fuzzy objects and people were not the same as the Cullens' living room and I felt an odd sense of deja vu. I felt my legs give out and there were a couple of shouts as I collapsed. I felt arms come underneath my armpits and hold me up, easing me to ground gently as my eyes continued to stare. The odd sensation felt like a memory, one which I blocked and could not remember, which is odd since I could remember all the way back to when I was a few months old. Hell, I could remember everything from being fed with a bottle of blood and milk to being changed on a changing table. But this I couldn't recall. I tried to focus on the images, trying to make sense of them and let them clear. But they didn't. There was a low humming noise in the background, almost like the remnants of noise from the memory. I focused my whole mind on it but with no result.

"Easy, Ila," my mother's voice above me broke through the haze. She was the one holding me up, and I felt her watching the memory with me. She was just as confused by it as I was. She spoke clearly though, trying to get me to focus on her rather than what was going on in my mind.

"Don't focus on it. Back off," she coached me and I obeyed, forcing myself to focus on her voice alone. The memory drifted and then disappeared after a few moments and I relaxed my tense muscles, slumping back into my mother as I evened my heavy breathing. My vision returned and I saw everybody huddled around me; I shifted, starting to feel claustrophobic. Edward, innately sensing my discomfort, told everyone to back up, which they did. I sat up and looked back at my mother, who was watching me with concern, as was everyone else. Hers, though, was rooted in what she saw, as she knew I was fine now.

"What in the hell was that?" I asked her, nearly breathless. She shook her head, assuring me she had no idea. I placed a hand to my head, rubbing it. I stood up hesitantly and allowed Edward to pull me to a chair in the kitchen, my mother following. Edward didn't say anything; he waited for me to make the move. I gestured silently to the refrigerator and he understood from my mental request, bringing me a bottle of water instantly. I took a few swigs and poured some over my hand and wiped my sweaty face. I transferred it to my mother, who took a sip or two before continuing to hover over me. I assured her again I was fine.

"That's not what I am worried about," she objected. I made to protest but I knew it was pointless so I nodded.

"What happened?" Edward asked, his curiosity and impatience finally coming through. I looked up at him, allowing him to see what I had seen. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion and annoyance at the less than perfect vision and sound.

"What is it?" he asked. I shrugged.

"I believe it was a memory, just you thought, Ila. One from a very long time ago, when you were a baby. That would explain the unfamiliarity and blurred images," my mother said to me.

"But that doesn't make sense. I can remember everything, just like you," I said. She shook her head.

"Even I can't remember the very beginning of my human life. My earliest memory was when I was seven years old. You can remember all the way back to when you were a couple of months old. But you can't remember anything before that. It must be a memory that happened in that time span."

"But that doesn't explain why everything was so out of focus. My senses weren't that bad as a baby, were they?" I asked. My mother hesitated before shaking her head.

"No. Your senses were very well developed," she admitted.

"What I want to know is why it happened to begin with. Why it came out of nowhere and had that effect on you," Edward said. He and I exchanged a glance.

"That I have no idea," I said. My mother shook her head, stating the same thing. However, there was a look in her eyes that I registered. I looked at her, waiting for her to explain, but she shook her head, her mind partially guarded. My forehead wrinkles, frustrated that she wouldn't tell me, but she touched my face, smoothing the features while mentally assuring me that it was nothing to worry about, though I didn't completely believe her.

"Ralae," the leader of the squadron entered the kitchen, his military face impassive, "We are ready to leave." My mother nodded and we all stood.

* * *

The Cullens locked down as much of their stuff as was possible. They had called to have a company to move their belongings to a storage unit, one big enough for all they had. But my mother informed them there was a good chance they would never return to Forks, or this house, again. Esme was saddened after the work she had put into it, and everyone was slightly saddened from all the memories they had gained there, but they allowed themselves a moment before getting into the cars with us. My mother and I were in the front seat of her Maserati, flanked by two Camaro's with Order members in them. Another Camaro was in front of us. The Cullens were split up between the cars. Edward and Davian sat in the back of the Maserati, while the rest of the Cullens sat with their respective mates in the other cars. A last Camaro rode a quarter mile or so back from us with Amba, Kate, and Elezear in the back seat. Eli was up in the Camaro in front of us with Rosalie and Emmett; Mother had insisted on them being in front of her as she she still felt guilty for Rosalie's rape and near-murder. The Order was unused to having to protect this many Sanralae but they all took it in stride, keeping the handsfree phone connection on between all six cars.

I relaxed against the leather seat as they spoke orders at each other, my mother occasionally commenting, hoping to get some time to figure out that memory. I closed my eyes, and the vision from before came to me. I forced my mind to focus on it, trying to make sense of the convoluted images and buzzes.

There was a shout from the handsfree connection and I pulled out of the vision abruptly. My mother was speaking orders and I tried to regain awareness of what was going on. Something had happened; the car with the Denalis had been attacked. I felt my mother hit the accelerator and all the Camaro's around followed suit.

It wasn't enough.

I felt something collide with the car, hard, and the Maserati buckled from the blow, skidding. The metal bent and tore in response to the attacker, finally flipping from the momentum. I was thrown from the car and I moved quickly to keep from getting caught under the vehicle. I landed on my feet and looked around me.

It was complete and utter chaos.

All the Camaro's were under attack. There were bodies on the ground among the wrecks and flames. Everyone was moving everywhere, the glowing black eyes of the Vercrian around them. There must have been a dozen of them and I felt a tinge of fear up my spine. But I didn't allow it to stop me. I moved forward, going for the first Vercrian I saw. Suddenly, members of the Order jumped in front of me, and painstakingly took down the creature. I swiveled, going for another one. He spied me immediately and lunged forward. I dodged him easily, my body curled into a crouch as he spun to attack. We continued for a moment before another body collided with me, though much less powerful. I was pushed to the ground from surprise and looked to see the body of a silver dog snarling and snapping at the Vercrian. I watched, horrified as Davian fought the creature and I reached out to his mind to help him maneuver and win the fight.

It wasn't enough. The Vercrian lunged, his teeth snapping the dog's delicate neck. I cried out as Davian squealed in pain before dropping to the ground. A snarl came from my chest, and I lunged at him. Remembering my first duel with the Vercrian, I dug my fingernails into his shoulder. The strength in the action caught him off guard and he stumbled, which was all I needed. I threw him up and slammed him into the ground, breaking as many painful bones as possible. He shuddered from the pain but was no where close to stopping. I leaned and tore through his flesh with my teeth, fighting against the urge to gag. He screamed and I bit down, allowing my venom to overcome him. He struggled once more before slumping, dead. I scrambled over to Davian, who had changed back into his human form. I was crying, the blood tears leaking from my eyes. I kneeled besides him, taking the weight off my arm so I could make a cut at the crease at my elbow. I had no idea why I was doing this, but my instincts were screaming at me to do it. Davian stopped me though.

"No, Bela, don't. You will need your strength, and I am a lost cause," he coughed through the blood in his throat.

"No, Davian. I can save you." That I was somehow sure of.

"No, you can't. No one can reverse death. And I am basically dead." He said. He lifted his hand—I can't imagine how much it took for him to do that—and laid on it over my open wound. I met his gaze and I nodded, more tears coming to the surface. Amongst the still ongoing chaos, it felt as we were all alone. I had known him since I was a child. I couldn't watch him die.

"Will you do something for me?" he asked. I nodded furiously, more tears coming to the surface.

"Drink from me," he requested. I stared and made to refuse.

"Bela, I am a moment from death. There is no hope for me. I have suffered pain in my life, but your saliva on my wounds would make this death enjoyable rather than painful. Please. Do not refuse a dying boy's wish." I closed my eyes, fighting against the sobs that threatened to take hold. I nodded before bending down. I licked at his blood before gently sucking at the wound at his neck. I heard him moan in pleasure as my saliva overtook his senses; he felt as if her were floating on a cloud rather than writhing in agony.

I felt him die, felt the life leave his body. And even as I drank his blood, the liquid that brought me life, more blood dripped from my eyes onto the boys head, a boy who sacrificed himself for me. I did not take enough to drain him; I couldn't stand to. I leaned back, my mouth disgusted with taste of his death on my tongue. I wanted nothing more than to rip it out of my mouth. I forced myself to look around myself, and immediately wished I hadn't. Eight Order members lay dead, not including Davian. I frantically looked for Edward and sighed slightly in relief as I saw him and the rest of the Cullens huddling around each other. The haunted look in their eyes was there again and I looked around for the source. I saw the burning corpses of Kate and Elezear not far from the car. Another body lay besides them, and I recognized Udara's red shirt. I choked and forced myself up, starting to make toward her.

Arms grabbed me from behind. Warm arms. I fought my mother desperately, shouting at her to let me go. She held me firmly though, ignoring my pleas. All I could see through my tear-filled eyes was Amba and I screamed her name hysterically. She didn't sit up; she didn't move in response to my cries. She had always been the first one to respond to my cries as a baby, after my mother, of course. But she wasn't, and I refused to believe the reason why. I continued to fight my mother's unbreakable grip, sobbing incoherently. I suddenly heard her voice through my screams.

"Ila, she's dead, there's nothing you can do. We need to get out of here. Please, Ila, baby, she's gone," her voice was calm and controlled in the beginning but she allowed the fear to seep in at the end, the fear for my safety. I shook my head in defiance but my body slumped, giving up the fight. I just sobbed and my mother let me before pulling me toward the car, and away from my dead grandmother's body.

* * *

 **Hey guys!**

 **First of all, special shoutout to** **teamwolfaltw** **for letting me know the AN was screwed up! Thank you so much!**

 **Anyway, here's another chapter! I couldn't sleep so I decided to get up three hours before my class and do this chapter for you guys!**

 **This chapter was harder for me to write; I was on the verge of tears the entire time :'(**

 **There will be more soon! Perhaps even later today!**

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 **LOVE YOU ALL! PLEASE REVIEW FOR ME GUYS! IT HELPS MOVE THINGS ALONG SO MUCH!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	23. Grief

Chapter 23: Grief

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Before I could register what was happening, I was in the back seat of another Camaro. I looked around and registered where Eli sat in the front seat, his body turned to look at me. The leader of Davian's squadron was at the wheel, and his foot pressed the accelerator to the floor. We must have been going in excess of a hundred and fifty miles an hour-my mother had the cars modified that way. I looked to Edward, who was sitting behind me while I sat between him and my mother. My eyes locking with his, he silently informed me the rest of the family was in the other cars, behind and in front of us. I nodded slightly before looking away, staring at nothing.

Davian was dead. Kate and Elezear were dead. Udara was dead.

I forced myself to think the word, all the while tears began slipping down my cheeks. I finally looked up at my mother's face, where she faced toward me, waiting for me to react. My expression was enough for her to pull me firmly into her embrace. I forced myself to stay quiet as I cried, but small whimpers came out of my mouth before I could stop them. My mother didn't say anything; she wouldn't lie to me about how it was okay or that they were in a better place or any other such idiocy. She just held me, allowing me to let it out.

"I know," she said as my grip on her tightened, "I know." And she did. She had watched countless people die, those that she had liked and adored throughout the centuries. And she knew the pain never got more manageable; each death was never easier.

"She didn't feel anything, Ila," she informed me. Her medical mind came into play-she was the first female doctor ever in existence and could write out countless medical journals and texts if it were her desire-and she let me know that the way she had been tossed from the car had hit her spinal cord, causing instant, painless death. I found what comfort I could in that, though there wasn't much. On top of the grief, I felt nothing but guilt and my mother reacted immediately, pulling me back to look at me face to face.

"This is not your fault, Ila," she told me fiercely, her voice forceful. I looked away, not answering her. I felt Edward wrap his arms around me, taking my mother's position as he pulled me into him, my back against his chest.

"Love, it's not. There's nothing that could have been done," he tried to soothe me but I ignored him, turning my head to lay my cheek against his collarbone and face toward the back of the leather seats. I saw my mother and he exchange a look when I didn't respond.

"You know that's a lie. All of this has happened because of me. All those deaths, starting with the ones on the reservation. Those lives are on my hands; the Denali's were never supposed to be involved but somehow they were thrown into this and now they're all dead," I retorted. Neither of them responded and I could sense that they were letting me vent, which angered me more.

"This is why I never wanted you involved in this," I said quietly. "The Vercrian cannot be stopped. They will win, and we will all die. But, at least, I had hoped that that you wouldn't have to die with me, or could be used as a tool against me. I should have wiped your memories; it would have been better for everyone." There was a beat of silence and I could tell Edward was shocked.

"Ila," my mother's voice was terse, and just on edge of control. I looked back at her, surprised by the anger at me in it. Her eyes were hard. "Listen to me when I tell you this: what happened is not your fault. The Vercrian can be stopped and they will not win. This is not a death sentence and I will not allow you to just give up. I did not raise you to give up; I taught you to fight, to never give in."

"Your mother is right, Ila, love," Edward said, "This is not the end of the world, not yet. The Vercrian that attacked us are dead, and you and your mother are alive. We are going somewhere safe now, and we will figure things out. And this is not just about you. This is not just the Sanralae's fight; it is every vampire's fight. And none of us will back down from a fight. We are with you, all the way, whether you like it or not." I was stunned, by Edward's words especially. But I couldn't help a thrill in my mind at him calling me Ila; it was the first time he had ever called me by my name. I nodded, my heart still aching but my mind resolved. I leaned back into Edward and looked to my mother, who was watching me, waiting for what, I didn't know.

"You never sit in the back seat," I said suddenly. Her smile broke through and she laughed, though underneath it, just as underneath my comment, there was pain. Our coven had been attacked again, and we walked away with missing members. Somehow, we would have to push through, and I took on my mother's bravery; as she had survived the coven's first decimation, we would survive this one.

But, even still as the Camaro's sped over the road towards safety, I couldn't help a nagging feeling in my mind that there was something amiss.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Another short chapter for you guys!**

 **I'm in the middle of my online Economics final and felt like procrastinating some, so here's a little tidbit for you!**

 **A few of you guys have been commenting on the lack of ExB fluff, and for that I am sorry. However, I have been focusing on getting the basis down and establishing Nila and Ila's relationship. There is more fluff coming; thou must be patient ;)**

 **Shoutouts** **: MaryMary123**

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 **Hope you guys enjoyed!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	24. Till Morning

Chapter 24: Till Morning

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We went to a safe house, one of many the Order has maintained over the centuries. On the outside, it looked like nothing more than an isolated mansion in the middle of the forest. Underneath the facade, though, lay intricate layouts and underground tunnels and safes so big an elephant could fit in one comfortably. There were more members of the Order when we got there, replacing those we had lost. They ushered us into the house quickly and I glanced at them as I passed. Some were older and more experienced but a few were rookies, just starting out. But all of them couldn't help the awed looks and attempted delicate mannerisms they adopted around us. None of them had ever been this close to the Sanralae and didn't really know how to respond; it was a fair point since we never needed to have this many people on us at once. My mother despised bodyguards and she made sure to minimize the amount of time she spent with them, but it was obvious after the attack that we needed numbers.

The Cullens converged on Edward and me once we were inside; they all wanted to comfort me. I couldn't speak for fear of losing it again so I just allowed them to comfort me. Rosalie, especially, was worried and she pulled me to her securely in a firm hug which I reciprocated. Looking at all them, I could tell they were shaken. They had never been that close to death, never been directly attacked before. I couldn't given them any comfort, but they found comfort in each other.

I followed my mother and the leader of the squadron—Aneirin was his name—to one of the conference rooms in the back of the house; the Cullens and Eli followed. We all took seats, my mother at the head and Andeirin facing her. They began discussing what the Order had found out so far. A hologram screen projector was turned on and the room dimmed as the data was thrown up on the wall. Seventeen separate attacks overall, all with at least five Vercrian; all the casualties, and there were many, up until this point had been humans and members of the Order. That meant there had been nearly a hundred Vercrian that were walking the earth and those were only the ones the Order was able to take down. Meaning there must be dozens upon dozens of them lurking. All the attacks were centralized in Europe and North Asia, only the attack on the Denali's and the attack on us was in the US at all. The Order members were trying to figure out how the Vercrian were able to get to us, to track us down, and were coming up blank. My mother was processing the information, her mind turning in the facts and absorbing every scrap of detail she could.

"Isn't it obvious?" I finally cut in after a few minutes. They all stopped talking and looked at me.

"They figured it out. They started out as clueless as all other vampires, attacking in Europe and North Asia, where they could attack Order members in large numbers. Their goal is to locate us, to find and kill the Sanralae. And they figured at least one person from the Order has to know where we were. Their abilities are not as crude and barbaric as you initially think; they are cunning and they can tell just by looking at an Order member whether or not he or she has any valuable information. If they do, they can torture it out of them for their own amusement, even though it isn't neccessary. And if they don't, well, we've all seen what has happened as a result. They probably found some whispers and rumors about Cylis and Rochester."

"What do you mean?" Aneirin demanded. My mother answered before I could.

"We keep track of the people of the Order very closely; we know who's done what and where. Cylis dropping off the radar to guard Rosalia is not normal for the Order; we don't just allow them to leave, and it was never indicated that he was dead. As Ila said, the Vercrian are cleaver and that caused a lightbulb to flicker. They followed the information up the Eastern Hemisphere, tracking down as much of they could of Cylis. When that didn't go anywhere, they made the jump to Rosalia and her human life, finding out about Royce and his partners. They connected the dots and pushed further through Russia over into Alaska, where they found the Denali coven. It probably wouldn't have taken much to get the information out of them.

"The Denali's wouldn't have betrayed us that way," Carlisle said. His voice was hard, icy, and even Esme gave him a startled glance. I could see in his eyes that he was very much affected by the loss of his extended family, as they all were, but he was the first to speak what the rest of them were thinking. My mother nodded toward him in agreement.

"I know that. However, everyone has their breaking point, and if the Vercrian had threatened them in enough ways, threatened their own coven, they would have cracked under the pressure. Just as the same would happen to you. If you were being tortured for information about the Denali's and another member of your coven was being threatened, you would make the choice to save your own coven first." My mother's explanation resulted in the expressions of the Cullens to twist, both from distaste and the urge to deny it. They didn't, though, because they knew she was right. My mother turned toward Aneirin.

"Ila is right; the Order is the only way to get through to the Sanralae; even people who don't know the Order exists would come to that conclusion. IN addition, no amount of vampires short of ten newborn armies could have survived the damage they threw at us tonight; the fact anyone walked away hints at the Sanralae's presence, because not even the entire Order can take on so many Vercrian at once. My interaction with Rosalia and Cylis catalyzed the suspicion and now it's snowballing out of our control. There's nothing to be done. The Vercrian that attacked us did not survive. But I have a feeling there is someone above them, using them as henchmen. And if that's true, then someone alive knows who I am and who Ila is and where we were last. It seems our anonymity has begun to be destroyed."

The Order members murmured slightly at my mother's words. The Cullens looked between each other and then at my mother and me. I knew the truth in her words before she said them; it was true, the Sanralae were no longer a complete secret anymore, and we hadn't been since Rosalie's birth. I felt Rosalie herself realize that and I saw the guilt begin to take over. I turned in the chair I was sitting in and met her gaze, making it clear in my expression I knew full well she was blaming herself and that she should stop. My mother glanced at her too, echoing my thoughts. Rosalie nodded at us slightly, allowing Emmett to pull her to his chest, but the guilt didn't completely wash away.

I swiveled back around, staring off at a corner of the room, sighing heavily. The buzz of the Order's voices faded into the background as I was lost in my own thoughts, which drifted back to the faces of those we left behind.

Kate. Elezear. Davian. _Amba_. Their faces unmoving and unseeing made my heart clench, first with grief and then with anger. I was not an angry person, but now I felt nothing but rage and grief and the grief fueled my anger. My vision flashed red and I saw my mother's gaze lock onto mine, startled by my emotions and the flashing of my eyes. Edward was watching me too and I felt him take my hand. But I didn't look at him, because my vision was suddenly overcome with the memory from before.

But, this time, it was clear.

I saw a room with French doors that opened out onto a beautiful beach at twilight. The waves crashed almost inaudibly against the shore, the water splashing bringing a calming effect to the scene. Everything felt much bigger and the memory's focus shifted, turning slowly upward.

My breathing stopped.

Cobalt blue eyes looked down at me, full of love and wonder. I stared up, mesmerized as well. My father smiled and he reached and gently moved the blanket away from my face. I made a small sound in my throat, a cross between a gurgle and a hiss, causing his smile to widen.

" _I love you, Ila, my little Bela_ ," he whispered quietly, looking up for a moment before returning his attention to me. I knew he looked up to where my mother was sleeping, fully human and just after giving birth. I felt the natural and familiar urge to be with her, because I innately knew that there was nourishment with her, but I was happy to be with him. I made a gurgling sound and he pressed his lips to my small forehead delicately.

" _I love you with all my heart, my little one, and it is because of that that I must go. I love you and your mother more than my own life, and I will always miss you. I hope you will miss me, and remember me, when the time is right. You will know when that is, and when you do, you will find your way back here, to the place of your birth, and your mother's. You will know, my Bela. Trust in that, and in my love for you._ " His words were fading and I struggled to cling to them. The memory was fading too but not before I saw him open his mouth to speak once more.

I felt out of the vision quickly and found myself in a hallway at the opposite end of the house from the conference room. I turned my head to the right just in time to see my mother climb the adjacent stairs. She was the first to find me and she came to me quickly, kneeling down where I sat on the floor. She reached out and ran her hands down my arms and only then did I see was shaking and tears were pouring down my cheeks.

" _What did you see?_ " she asked and I looked up at her in confusion.

" _You don't know?"_ I replied, too shocked to answer her question. She shook her head.

" _The link faded when it started. And it's hasn't reestablished itself_ ," she said, her voice bothered and worried. I actively reached out to her and both of us relaxed as we felt the bond stretch between us. I showed her the memory and her eyes widened.

" _We have to go home_ ," I said.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Glad to be back! Summer is here and my freshman year of college is over!**

 **First of all, thank you to those of you who wished me luck on my finals :) It helped because my grades got curved up and I got a 3.5 GPA for the year, which is what I wanted! :D**

 **Second, now that summer is here, I will be less buys to do updates for you guys and my ultimate goal will be to have both this story and its sequel finished for you all by the summer's end.**

 **HOWEVER, starting next week I will be working six days a week averaging around 50+ hours a week and I will be doing summer classes online at the end of the month through the end of the summer. But, some of these hours will be spent in front of a computer so I may be able to slip a few chapters during work but if not, I have one day off a week to do them. (Probably Tuesdays, by the way, if you're looking for a specific date)**

 **Secondly, this story is almost finished, which is scary even of itself! :O There may be two or three more chapters, depending on how long it takes to say what I need to and end it the way I want :)**

 **Thirdly, I kind of got teared up doing this chapter so I apologize if any of you suffered the same :'( actually not really, because if you cry or feel emotional, it means you're attached to the characters and that means a lot to me! :)**

 **Also, I forgot to apologize for the religion stuff in the recent chapters. I didn't mean to offend anyone so if I did, I'm sorry :/**

 **If you guys have any suggestions or questions, please let me know by DM'ing me or reviewing! Please review guys; I read every one of them and they make my week! I work really hard on these chapters for you guys so it would be nice to know that people do actually read them and care enough to let me know!**

 **Finally, I sent out AN's to my other stories to promote** **Neverland** **and a lot of people have suddenly been adding the other stories to their following/favorite lists, which is like ok but I don't really intend on adding to them but c'est la vie.**

 **This was a really long AN's so I hoped you read to the end! ;)**

 **Shoutouts** **: panthermama and marlane**

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 **MVP** **: kgarrison3 and teamwolfaltw :)**

 **Last thing, I PROMISE: if you are an VIP and you have favorited/followed me or his story and i have not moved you to the MVP list, please let me know and I will change it! And, just so you know, reviewers that get shoutouts become VIP's when they review on three consecutive chapters!**

 **OK, I'll leave you alone now! Hope you guys enjoyed! I love you all!**

 **~Melinda :)**


	25. Neverland

Chapter 25: Neverland

* * *

Having acute senses was very irritating. The entire plane ride I had tried to sleep, or at least pretend I was while really allowing my thoughts to wander. But the sounds of the Cullens and my mother kept me awake, both their verbal and mental noise. I gave up an hour into the flight, instead choosing to sit at the very back of the plane, in one of the extravagant lounges we had. I was left alone, though there were Order members stationed outside the entrances, the pilot and crew keeping watch for anything amiss in the sky, and, of course, my mother being aware of my every move. Even across the aircraft she knew my every thought, my every shift of position. She was still very disturbed by the lull in the mental bond between us; it had never happened before and none of us knew what caused it.

The Cullens were coping as best as they were able, which was fairly well considering their circumstances. Edward respected my privacy and my need to be alone, but that didn't stop him from asking for an update from my mother every so often. My mother gave him an abridged summary of the facts—my heart rate, my breathing, my current mood—most of the time, but once she did let on more.

"She's coping, better than I thought she would. She's so young; she's never seen this amount of death in her life. She's never even killed from feeding. I never wanted this for her, never. I never wanted her to have to deal with this; I tried to keep her from it at all costs, and now it seems it's all just coming all at once. And it would be my fault if she can't handle it."

"She's strong, like her mother. She can handle it," I heard Eli said. My mother's small smile, which I glimpsed through his mind, was short-lived and not genuine.

I pulled out of their minds, not able to bear their emotions; mine were sufficient. I couldn't stop my thoughts as images of Amba, Kate and Elezear, Davian, all flashed in front of my closed eyelids. One other face continued popping up more frequently than the others: the image of my father, holding me. It was the only memory I had of him, and I clung to it—and the message that was the reason we were on this plane to begin with—with everything I had. I worked desperately to try and unclog the rest of the memory. I knew it wasn't finished; I knew there was more he said that I needed to know, but I couldn't do it. After an hour of nonstop concentration with no results, I groaned, hissing in frustration as I flung the switchblade I held across the room. It embedded itself into the wall across the room, thankfully an inside wall. After a moment of staring at it blankly, debating whether to pull it out or not, I moved to it, freeing it easily. I twisted it in my fingers, twirling and flipping it around my hand at a speed much too fast for a human to follow. My mind didn't focus on it, my muscle memory made it impossible for me to hurt myself with it, so my thoughts wandered again, focusing this time on the Cullens, my family.

My heart ached with guilt and fear for their safety; they had sacrificed so much already. It was unfair to ask any more. But they had agreed to this, and none of their minds even hinted at second thoughts. It was odd, disturbing. But I guess they must have thought the same of _Isabella Swan_ —I couldn't help the detachment at my human name—when she had taken all the vampirism in stride. Eli's face flashed into my mind; he had done what she had. He was never really bothered by my mother or father. He loved it, in fact, invigorated by the mystery and 'magic' of the vampire world, which was very animated compared to his. He had been begging my mother to change him since before I was born, and the conversation they had had back in the Cullens' living room replayed in my mind. He was going to get himself killed, I thought to myself. There is no way he will survive this on his own, not as fragile as he was. But my mother held fast to her decisions; she always had, and there was no changing that.

I sighed, and the sound was tired. I forced myself up from my sitting position, making toward the front of the plane. I waved off the Order bodyguards as I passed. I found my family and their eyes all shifted to mine, trying to gauge my reaction. I didn't meet anyone's eyes specifically, collapsing next to Edward and leaning into him. He pulled me to him firmly, kissing the top of my head. My mother's gaze was on me, and I saw in her expression that she was deliberating something. Curious, I reached out to her and saw where her mind went. My eyes widened slightly, shocked. She saw my response and sighed herself, steeling herself before pushing out of the chair she had been sitting in.

"Eli," she breathed. He looked up at her, eyes questioning. He, as well as everyone else, sensed her change in mood. She went and sat besides him. She took a deep breath before meeting his gaze.

"You know I care for you deeply, Eliah," she began. "You have made my life change, in so many ways. And I cannot thank you enough for that." I saw both their eyes flicker to me and away. "But this, what I'm involved in, is dangerous now. More so than it ever was. More so than I ever expected it to be. And I cannot allow you to stay with me, with us. It's a death sentence and I cannot bear that." Eli's eyes had gotten wider as she had gone on.

"You're not just going to leave me. You can't expect me to go home and forget. I won't, I can't," he said, his voice stuttering from shock and emotion. My mother's expression was impassive, but her words shocked both Eli and the Cullens.

"I cannot allow you to be in this world any longer. At least, not as you are," she replied. She held out her hand and Eli stared at it, at her, completely taken by surprise. She waited and, when he didn't move, she spoke again.

"I understand that if, after everything you've seen in the past few hours have changed your mind. But the offer is there, if you want it." Eli gaped at her for a moment before he managed to control his expression. He nodded without hesitation. She nodded to herself, before lifting her hand to curve around his neck.

"Close your eyes," she instructed. He obeyed. She breathed gently onto his mouth and nose and he froze slightly at the warm, intoxicating effect. His body slumped in relaxation. Swiftly, without barely touching him, she bit down on his throat.

* * *

Eliah was unconscious, peacefully, and the Cullens were at a loss of what to do. Every vampiric transformation they had ever heard about or witnessed was agonizing, usually filled with screaming and pleading for death. My mother was breathing more deeply than she usually did, affected by the physical effect the change had on her, one she swore to herself she would never feel again. It was the first time she had created a vampire in over twelve thousand years. I saw the memories haunt her behind her eyelids. While the Cullens were distracted by the phenomenon before them, I went to her, curling into her side.

" _I'm fine, darling_ ," she insisted, sensing my uneasiness. " _I just haven't done it in a while._ " The Cullens looked up at her voice and, though they did not understand her words, they could assume her intended meaning.

"What does it feel like? For you, I mean?" Carlisle asked.

"No different than what you feel. However, it has been well over twelve thousand years since I have made another vampire. Calix was my last, and I swore to myself I would never change another being again." My mother sighed, and it sounded fatigued. Not sleep-induced, but the one after enduring a long hardship—her life and everything she had lived through. The never ending talk of the Vercrian had awoken the memories of that night, of the night she had lost her coven, and the guilt and horror and grief she had felt was creeping back into her. I flinched unconsciously and she forced her mind away from mine, hiding the contents from me. I frowned.

But I didn't have time to say anything because I could feel the slight jolt in the smooth plane's path. We were descending, arriving at our destination. The pilot—who was very human, with sandy hair and dark grey eyes—came out of the cockpit to inform us as much. My mother nodded to him in thanks. The Cullens, curious, edged toward the plane's little windows, looking out onto the place where their kind began. My mother's arm moved slightly out of the way as I made to turn to look out the window behind us, and she glanced out along with me.

It was exactly as I remembered.

Settled in the bright blue ocean water of the Indian Ocean, the island was fairly large, though undetectable from any satellites. It was shaped mostly round, with dull star-like points at three places along the sandy shores, the rest bearing trees and forest to the waters edge, ending in smallish, round cliff faces. The remaining shore—the one facing toward the plane as it approached—had a enclosed bay, creating a large, circular, saltwater swimming pool, protected from the bigger waves and currents of the open water. The sand shores were as white as marble before meeting the true green lushes and trees that extended across most of the island. A mountain rose from its center, up into the lowest level of clouds. Even from here, I could see the house that sat between the mountain and the bay's shore. A thin layer of trees stood as a covering from the ocean, and not only when one sailed less than a hundred yards from the bay could one see the building at all.

Seeing this place, the island on which I was born, where I lived and grew for the first few years of my life, left a tightness in my throat. I was home. _We_ were home. I glanced at my mother and I saw a small, sad smile on her face. I understood it; there were the fondest memories made here—her change, her maturation stage, my birth—but also the biggest sadness. My father leaving. I felt both of our hearts clench slightly. I had always felt saddened at the thought of my father, but it hurt worse now, now that I had my own solitary memory of him. My mother squeezed my fingers gently and I reciprocated.

The plane continued to descend and, as it did so, I spoke ever so softly.

"Neverland."

* * *

We left Eli where he was, resting as the change wagered on. The airplane land on the water and we took small life rafts to shore. I watched the Cullens' expressions as their eyes took in the island, focusing finally on the house at the center. My mother was the first there, gently opening the side door. It made no sound but I was hesitant to step inside. When we finally did, we wandered.

I found myself in the living room, which was very spacious with a large king-sized bed with a black lace canopy overhead and a large white sectional sofa that faced a fireplace and plasma TV off center and a set of magnificent French doors that opened out onto the bay. My eyes scanned the room, my heart clenching and my eyes pricking as I recalled all the memories here. I had lived here from my birth until I was four. This was my first home. My mother came to me and she watched me, understanding my reaction as my fingers grazed the fireplace, where she had told me endless stories, and gazed out the French doors out onto the bay where I would spend hours playing in the water and where I first gained my tolerance to the sun.

Looking back to my mother, her fingers grazed the white wood of the foot of the bed. I could see the sadness in her eyes, the longing, the memories. She had given birth to me on that bed, she had loved my father there as well. I look daway, allowing her a moment of privacy, stepping instead to the space just in front of the French doors. I stood there for a long time, looking down at the Sanralae crest that was emblazoned in gold in the floor. I stood there long enough that the Cullens came to inspect it, Edward curling his arms around me. I hugged him back firmly. They were watching me, waiting for an explanation.

"This," I began, "was the spot where my mother was changed into a vampire."

They looked onto the spot with new light, staring at the intricate markings with a kind of awe. I could see my mother's eyes on them, watching them oversee the place of her transformation, the transformation of the first vampire, and the beginning of the vampire race. I looked with them. Though I did not fully understand the full grasp of the mark when I first lived here, I knew of its importance. I had played on the crest, drank blood from a small titanium sippy cup in this spot. I had spent hours running my eyes and hands over it, memorizing it, the mark of my family. Even as a toddler, I could see every facet, and there were no flaws in the design. My eyes now roamed over the intricate weaves of the golden chains, the swirls of the crown's barely-there embellishments, over the sleek _S_ , completely embossed in gold, sapphires, and rubies.

I suddenly stared harder, confused, seeing something I had not seen before. I knew I had nearly perfect vision and memory. And I knew this crest had not changed at all since I had seen it. But there was something there, something that was there but not apart of the crest. I looked down at the crest on my wrist, before looking back to the crest in the floor, curiosity and suspicion rising. My mother—who had been leaning casually against the bed post—stood straight now, put off by my sudden and strange reaction. I knelt down to see the crest closer, and my eyes took in the imperceptible slit that lined the _S_. Carefully, my fingertips reached out, gliding along the crack. Almost instinctively, I inserted my fingernails downward, into the floor. They slipped between the slit and the rest of the floor easily, my fingers now straddling the area. Gently, with the tips of my fingernails, I pulled back slightly.

My nails found purchase.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! PLEASE DO NOT KILL ME!**

 **I know it's been a LONG WHILE since I posted, but, in my defense, I've been crazy busy and I also didn't fully know how I wanted this chapter to play out. But an epiphany hit me about an hour ago and here we are, another chapter done!**

 **Only a couple more left! :O :$**

 **Anyway, love you guys and hope you enjoyed!**

 **Shoutouts** **: panthermama, marlane, Mary Mary (Guest), and** **csp4** **(HI I MISSED YOU!)**

 **VIP:** **sujari6, BridieM, KAT-TWILIGHT75, davysekhon, heartstrings13, JaelSarjenka, and MaryMary123! :)**

 **MVP** **: kgarrison3 and teamwolfaltw :)**

 **~Melinda :)**


	26. Surprise

Chapter 26: Surprise

* * *

The apartment was quiet, calm. The Cullens had gone out hunting, with escorts of course. My mother had a few vampire bodyguard from the Order, as humans would have been at risk and quite unsuitable for the job. They took Eli with them, fully turned and thirsty as was possible. He wanted to do the vegetarian lifestyle and Carlisle and the others gladly offered to help him through it. They all left to hunt while I sat out on the balcony of the top suite, my legs crossed as I stared out into the black ocean against the blacker night sky. We were in Indonesia now, having not stayed on the island long. I felt the familiar draw to it, one I had not felt in many years, not since I had first left it. The power there was immeasurable, incomprehensible, yet tangible. Even Edward and his family could sense it, though it may be because the place, and the story that was born there, was so mystical in their eyes. Yet, even as I felt my instinctual urge toward the water, I could not see the island, despite may cute senses; such was the purpose of the island, far enough away to not be seen by any mortal—and most immortal—being.

My mother said across from me, her body folded identical to mine. I sighed, looking down at my lap, at the object of her gaze. The small leather-bound book was in impeccable condition, considering its age. According to my mother, the first pages dated back before 3,000 B.C.E, with the earliest inventions of papyrus. My father was very resourceful and he often invented things for him and Mother that humans would not figured out until many centuries later. The pages got more modern as they progressed, like a living history of paper itself. The book wasn't very old, the blue leather genuine with a intricate gold clasp that had clamped the pages shut, at least until now.

The clasp was opened from the vial of venom that my father had left to us, one which my mother kept in a safe deep in the confines of this hotel, which was private and only for the most high end guests. The book had opened effortlessly and we all had bent over the pages, curious beyond belief.

We were all disappointed.

The pages were filled with mindless gibberish, all in my father's hand (according to my mother). The characters were that of our language, but the combinations did not form any words at all. I had learned the basics of the written language, mostly through Mother's and Amba's minds, but we never wrote down any characters; it would be too suspicious and leave some sort of record of the language behind. My mother was fluent in it, of course, and in many other languages, yet she could not find any rhyme or reason to the writings. We even sat there working out riddles and codes in our head that would perhaps legitimize the writing, but to no avail.

Frustrated, we all decided to take a break; the Cullens decided to hunt, after my mother's persuasion that they didn't know when they would be able to again. My mother had gone to get more updates from the Order while I showered and fed from some of the packets of blood in the fridge. I came out here, but I was unable to separate myself from the book. She had joined me out here after, both of us in our own minds, trying to make out the mystery my father had left for us.

"He never mentioned it to you?" I asked, my eyes focusing on her. She shook her head, her expression frustrated. I sighed again, opening the book to a random page and staring at the characters, trying to make patterns out of them that were clearly not there. I growled gently under my breath, annoyed when I came up empty, tossing the book at the foot of the lounge chair I sat on and leaned back, rubbing my eyes. I had a migraine; my head was killing me from this mental and physical stress. I felt the rubber tension of the chair bounce slightly just as I felt my mother's hand on my forehead.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned. I nodded, brushing off her concern.

"I'm fine. Just irritated. And thirsty. I guess I still haven'y completed recovered yet," I admitted guiltily.

"Well, the past few days have not been a help, either, I imagine," she added. I nodded my agreement. My eyelids fluttered, my body suddenly overcome with fatigue. I shook my head, trying to awaken myself.

"Come on," she murmured, her voice softer and more flowing. She often used that voice when she was trying to lull me to sleep, allowing the full force of her vampiric nature to overcome her vocal cords. She gently pulled me up and I let her lead me to the bed. I was already dressed in a soft spaghetti strap tank and soft silk pajama pants. I climbed to the center of the bed, snuggling under the blankets while my mother settled besides me. I dozed off easily enough, falling asleep with my head on her arm and her heartbeat in my ear.

* * *

It wasn't the sun that awakened me a few short hours later; it was black as pitch outside when my eyes snapped open. Throwing my blankets off, I darted into the bathroom off the bedroom, throwing up violently into the toilet. I could feel a hand holding my hair back while the another rubbed soothingly into the space between my shoulder blades. The hand was warm and I felt instant comfort at my mother's presence, and glad Edward wasn't here to worry about me _more_. All thoughts were expelled though as nausea overcame me and I was sick again. The vomiting didn't wane for a long time and, when it finally did, I slumped down, slightly relieved by the cool porcelain of the toilet. I felt her sit up slightly to flush the toilet before settling beside me, her hand going to my cheek to brush a loose strand of hair that had stuck to my sweating skin.

"Did you drink something bad?" she asked verbally, her worry from last night escalated. I shook my head slightly, dizzy from even the smallest movement. I felt my mother nod to herself slightly before getting up. I followed her with my ears, opening my eyes only when she offered me a cup of water. I took it, sipping from it, more for her contentment than to my betterment. She knew that though and she gave me the expression that told me I wouldn't be leaving my position until I finished it. I obeyed, continuing to sip until I bolted upright again, dry heaving into the toilet as cramps overcame my body. When I recovered, I was panting and my mother pulled me to her, laying a wet washcloth across my forehead. I made a small sound of thanks and she acknowledged it mentally. But her mind was elsewhere and, curious, I searched her mind. She had blocked me off though and I met her eyes questionably. Her face was impassive but I could sense something brewing, could sense her calculating.

I continued to stare at her while she worked out whatever it was. Suddenly, swiftly, she moved from my side to the cabinet under the sink, taking a box out. When she returned to sit beside me, she held it out to me. I stared at it before meeting her gaze.

"Just to be sure," she assured me. I gulped before taking the box of pregnancy tests.

* * *

The ten minutes it took for the test results to come seemed to drag but, at the same time, flew by. When my mother looked down at the watch on her wrist then met my gaze, I could feel my heartbeat increase.

"Would you like to look? Or would you prefer I did?" She asked. I contemplated for a moment before answering her silently. She nodded, before getting to her feet, me following. We approached the countertop where the two tests lay on a piece of paper towel, their screens covered by a section that had been folded up. I took a half step forward, fingers trembling. Taking a deep breath to try to calm myself, I unfolded the paper towel. My mother and I saw the results simultaneously, but I reacted first. The two double pink lines made me freeze for a moment in shock. Less than a second later, I was trembling, shaking so badly I thought my legs would give out. My mother apparently thought the same because I felt one of her hands grip my forearm while the other curled under my back, gently helping me sit on the floor across from the counter. She kneeled beside me, saying nothing, her hands running up my arms in a soothing manner, her eyes intent on my face. My breathing was haphazard and I struggled to control it. She murmured to me gently, hushing me as she restated beside me, sitting crosslegged. She pulled me into her arms and I curled into her, my cheek against her shoulder. I was still shaking and small gasping sounds were coming out of my mouth. I knew, in some small part of my brain, that I was having a full-blown panic attack. But, not he surface, I didn't know what I was feeling; everything was so jumbled up. I felt fear, I felt confusion, but I also felt hope and happiness, excitement.

I was pregnant.

Neither of us said a word to each other until I had regained some of my composure. I sat up slowly, my mother still holding up most of my weight, and met her gaze. Her eyes were concerned and she placed her hand against my cheek, which I leaned into, breaking our gaze.

 _I'm sorry,_ I asked.

 _There's nothing to apologize for, baby. It's a shock for anyone._ she replied. I met her eyes, betraying my unbridled fear. She smiled slightly, hushing me gently when my body began to panic again. But then I thought of something, and I stared at her, turning our mental conversation verbal.

"You knew I could get pregnant?" I asked, bewildered. Her expression remained calm.

"No. I had no idea whether it was possible for you or not. I didn't know which side would have dominance. You never had a menstrual cycle, but neither did I, when I was human the second time. I knew it couldn't be ruled out though, especially since I know male vampires aren't sterile," she said. I looked down, processing this, my mind going to Edward. Fear rocketed up to the top of my list of emotions. What would he say? Would he want this? Neither of us—the whole family, in fact—were prepared for something like this. With what we've been going through and now the issue with deciphering the book, none of us gave it a second thought. My mother had though, as I could tell that box had been there for a while. She always thought about that type of stuff.

"It's part of my job, darling," she said, smiling ruefully. I gave a small smile in response as she hugged me again, tucking my head under her chin.

"And do not worry about Edward. He will be thrilled, just as the rest of the family will be, just as I am," she murmured. I looked up at her, surprised.

"You're happy?" I asked. She laughed lightly, her teeth flashing.

"Of course, sweetheart," she assured me. I smiled and relaxed into her. She leaned back into the wall and held me in her embrace. I reveled in the bliss of the news before waves of fear and horror came to me. I bolted upright, my mother coming up with me as she saw my reaction.

"If the Vercrian are after me, they will be after the baby even more. They'll come after me, after the baby," I said, my voice panicked. My mother's face remained controlled, calm and firm.

"I know," she said, "But do not worry about that now. No one will touch either of you. We will figure that out later. Right now, you need to rest. It's been an eventful couple of days, both mentally and physically straining, and tomorrow will be no different," I gave in, relaxing in her arms, her hand running up and down my back.

"What is tomorrow?" I asked nonchalantly. I felt her smile as her chin moved on top of my head.

"Tomorrow," she began, still smiling, "you get to tell Edward that he is going to be a father." I smiled in return. I look down at my waist, laying a hand against my abdomen delicately. My mother's hand joined mine and I let my head fall to her shoulder.

In that moment, it felt everything was right in the world. I was reunited with my mother and my family. Edward and I were equals in our relationship. Eli had been changed, something that he had wanted since he first discovered the existence of the vampire world. I had returned home to Neverland, to a place where I lived care freely and happily, with no cares in the world.; that island still emitted those freeing vibes even now, amongst the havoc. And now, on top of this, I was with child. In these aspects, I couldn't be happier.

But I knew the truth. I knew I was putting everyone in danger; I knew that there were countless deaths on my hand, from my childhood friend to my own grandmother. I knew my father had left us a cryptic book with no instructions on how to decipher it. And I knew that now the most dangerous creatures on the planet were targeting me and those I loved most.

But, in that moment, I didn't let those bad things dampen my mood. I allowed myself that one blissful moment, of laying in my mother's arms, protected and relaxed, at least for that one moment.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! So this is the final chapter for Neverland! :(**

 **HOWEVER, its sequel will hopefully be up soon (perhaps even by this weekend). There were many questions answered in this story, but many more raised. And I will answer all of them with the sequel, which will be entitled "Amethyst."**

 **Thank you to everyone who has been there throughout this story, those who only caught on later, or those who will not read this story until much later on.**

 **Also, thank you in advance to those of you who will come with me to Amethyst to finish the story :)**

 **Love you guys! Please review if you want! I love your comments! :)**

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 **~Melinda :)**


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